- Tom Marvolo Riddle: Tom is a common name that makes him feel ashamed. Marvolo mashes together “marvelous” and the Latin term “volo” which can mean either “to desire” or “to move rapidly” “Marvolo” could also be a reference to the character Malvolio in “Twelfth Night,” the main antagonist in the play. Riddle might just be a nod that he didn’t seem himself.
- Voldemort: In French, “ vol de mort” means “flight of death.”
- Neville Longbottom: It’s just a joke. Rowling said she has a lot of Neville Longbottom about not being good enough.
- Luna Lovegood: Luna’s meaning in Latin is “moon”. She was born on a full moon night.
- Xenophilius Lovegood: A xenophilia is “someone who loves weird things”. Lovegood refers to the inherent goodness of the people in that family.
- Draco Malfoy: Draco means “dragon” in Latin. It also is a name for an Athenian lawmaker who is very strict and harsh, the way Draco Malfoy treats others. Mal is French for “evil” and Foy is a reference to the French word “foi” which means “faith” or “belief.” It said that his family had evil beliefs.
- Lucius Malfoy: Lucius is the name of King Arthur’s rival. It can be read as further Weasley and Lucius Malfoy tension. Lucius is another Shakespear reference. The character killed his emperor, he helped Voldemort overthrow the Ministry of Magic.
- Narcissa Black: Narcissa is a name from the Greek mythology Narcissus who is a narcissist.
- Regulus Arcturus Black: Regulus is named after his great-uncle. Arcturus is named after his paternal grandfather.
- Bellatrix Lestrange: Bellatrix is the 25th-brightest star. In Latin, it means “warlike.” Lestrange probably refers to how weird she is.
- Fenrir Greyback: Fenrir is a son of Loki, who is a dangerous wolf in Norse myths. Greyback might be a reference to his appearance as a wolf when he transforms into one.
- Gregory Goyle: Gregory is derived from the Greek word meaning “watchful” or “alert”, and could refer to his bodyguard role of Draco Malfoy. Goyle sounds like “Gargoyle”, the type of statue that looks over Gothic-style buildings which refers to how he looks over Draco Malfoy.
- Vincent Crabbe: Vincent is derived from the Latin word “vincere”, which is “to conquer”. Crabbe might refer to his crabby, irritable personality.
- Nymphadora Tonks: Nymphadora seems to be a reference to nymphs, who were beautiful figures in Greek mythology. Tonk is a slang term for striking something. She did strike at fighting Death Eaters.
- Mundungus Fletcher: Mundungus is an archaic word that means poor quality, bad-smelling tobacco, which is also how people tend to think about the thief. Fletcher refers to “fletching”, which is part of the process of making an arrow. It doesn’t refer to anything about his behavior.
