Welcome to the freshly refurbished name origins pages. Now that the series has come to an end, we can really start to create a comprehensive list of our favourite characters, places, objects and strange nouns the JKR appears to have created from nowhere, but where did these words originate? With any luck, you can find out here!

This page is a reference as to what some of the names and places in the Harry Potter series mean in other languages, what they might be named after, and some stories surrounding them in mythology.

The names are in alphabetical order. To find someone, look for their first name, last name, or what it would look like together. If we have the etymology for both (or multiple parts) of the names, you will find them separated. For instance, Severus Snape is separated into "Severus" and "Snape." If a name has meaning when left together, such as Fleur Delacour, it will be left that way. Titles are behind the character's name (like Voldemort, Lord). The incantations for all spells are italicized.

Special thanks to Fronskie Feint and MoHPCN for some of these origins, and to Steve from The Harry Potter Lexicon for some help with the spells.

We now have four categories which you can use to find the etymology of your desired name.

Characters

Potions, Spells and Magical Objects

Creatures, Jobs and States of Being

Events, Places and Mottos

Want to submit a new Name Origin? Please write to us by selecting the "Site Feedback" contact option on this page.