Why hogwarts name

Skip to content Harry Potter Name Origins. Submit a Name Origin Characters. Events, Places, and Mottos. Azkaban — Azkaban sounds very similar to and its description is very much the same as the former Californian prison known as Alcatraz, located on an island in the San Francisco Bay. Beauxbatons — This is French for "beautiful wands. Diagon Alley — "Diagonally" refers to "a straight line at a slanted angle," so this is most likely a play on words.

Their influence even reaches into modern musical theater, as in the title song of Little Shop of Horrors. Grimmauld Place — This is most likely a play on words for a grim, old place. Gringotts — According to J. Rowling, the famous bank comes from the word "ingot," as a reference to "an ingot of gold. Hog's Head — In Old English, a hoggshead was a medium-sized barrel holding 54 gallons of ale. Knockturn Alley — "Nocturnal" means "of or relating to the night.

Privet Drive — In England, a privet is a very common shrub planted as hedges in suburbia. Those with privet hedges are said to conform to the suburban identity, and privets are characterized as boring and unimaginative. Toujours Pur — This Black family motto is French for "always pure.

Yule Ball — "Yule" refers to the time of the Winter Solstice, thus the reason for the dance taking place around Christmas time. Jul pronounced "yul" is the Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish name for Christmas. In the Danish translation of Goblet of Fire , the Yule Ball is written as juleballet , which means "Christmas ball or dance. Creatures, Jobs, and States of Being. Abraxan — Abraxus was the name of a flying horse that pulled Helios, the sun god's, chariot through the sky in Greco-Roman mythology.

Animagus — This is a portmanteau of the Latin words animal and magus , meaning "animal wizard. But English demands a plural in many places where none exists, and Chamber of Secrets is certainly an apt name. Because of the peculiarity of the name Hogwarts, its translation into other languages was tricky.

As usual, the French version created its own rendition of the name, and other languages did their best to recreate the sound of the name, as shown below. But the connection to the hogwort plant is lost. It would be very interesting to read a copy of Hogwarts: A History. My requests to the Hogwarts librarian to borrow a copy have gone unanswered, and Hermione Granger is unavailable to loan me her copy or share her knowledge. I assume the reason the four founders of the school named it Hogwarts is given, but no one seems to have mentioned it anywhere so far.

The Acromantula — a sort of giant deadly magical spider — comes from "ara," short for "arachnid. In Jewish or Christian eschatology, it refers to a figure or nation involved in apocalyptic prophecies. In Sanskrit, Nagini literally means "a being taking the form of a great snake. That might have been a hint to Nagini being a Horcrux, because she contained a fragment of Voldemort's soul.

To be "peeved" is to be annoyed. As Rowling wrote in Pottermore , "Peeves is well-named, for he has been a pet peeve of every Hogwarts caretaker from Hankerton Humble appointed by the four founders onwards. It doesn't provide any obvious insight into his name. Pomona was the Roman goddess of fruit trees, and "sprout" is another reference to her plant cultivation.

Fenrir, a son of Loki, was a dangerous wolf in Norse myths. It's a name that suits a character who's a murderous werewolf.

World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options. Get the Insider App. Click here to learn more. A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation. Jacob Shamsian. Harry Potter's name is all about his leadership qualities. Ronald Bilius Weasley's name refers to his status as Harry's sidekick. Hermione Jean Granger's name is more a reflection of her parents than her own personality.

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore has a meaning for each of his many names. Tom Marvolo Riddle, of course, can also be rearranged to spell "I am Lord Voldemort" — but it also has its own meanings.

Neville Longbottom's name is just a joke. Rubeus Hagrid is known for taking a drink. Even Draco Malfoy's name makes him sound like a bad guy. Lucius Malfoy, Draco's dad, has similar dimensions to his name. Narcissa doesn't have the best qualities, either.

Sirius Black's name is a pun. Bellatrix Lestrange is also named after a star. Remus Lupin's name gives away that he's a werewolf. Gellert Grindelwald, Dumbledore's friend and nemesis, has a parallel name. Newt Artemis Fido Scamander's name refers to his affinity with animals. Porpentina Goldstein has a prickly personality, like a porcupine. Percival Graves is another King Arthur reference. Rowling liked "Bartemius Crouch" so much that she used it twice.

Even Fleur Isabelle Delacour's name is unusually beautiful. Cedric Diggory could be a nod to "Narnia" author C. Rowling picked the Dursley family names because she didn't like them. Argus Filch, the caretaker of Hogwarts, is always keeping a lookout for those pesky kids. Rowling has made no secret of how much she disliked Cornelius Fudge. Rufus Scrimgeour wasn't afraid to take on Voldemort. Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank is perhaps Rowling's most delightful name.

It suits someone who looks after animals. Gregory Goyle isn't much more than Draco's bodyguard. Vincent Crabbe is invested in Malfoy's ambitions. Salazar Slytherin is named after a Portuguese dictator.

Godric Gryffindor is definitely Rowling's favorite Hogwarts founder. Rowling found Gilderoy Lockhart's name on a random war memorial.

Xenophilius Lovegood loves weird things. Minerva McGonagall's name is a joke about a terrible English poet. Garrick Ollivander was born to be a wandmaker. Kingsley Shacklebolt has an appropriately royal name for a person who becomes the Minister for Magic. Rita Skeeter's name likens her to a mosquito. Horace Eugene Flaccus Slughorn is obsessed with good breeding, but he has some good characteristics.

Nymphadora Tonks's unusual name doesn't hint at her shape-shifting abilities. Sybill Trelawney's name references Greek oracles.