E Titles

• Ennervate (Spell used to revive someone who has been stunned) - When spelled with two "n", as in "ennervate," it actually means to "add nerve" (daring or strength). With one "n", as enervate, it means to "weaken." The spell in the books is "ennervate," so it makes perfect sense.

• Elphias Doge - Doge was the title of the ruler of Venice from the 8th to 18th centuries. "Corno," meaning horn in Italian, was the cap worn by the doge as a symbol, which is mentioned when Mad-Eye Moody shows Harry the photo of the Order: "Elphias Doge, you've met him, I'd forgotten he used to wear that stupid hat."(Order of the Phoenix, pg. 158 UK, pg. 174 US). Also, Magus Elphias Levi was a French occultist of the 19th century.

• Engorgio (Spell that makes things grow) - In French, "engorgement" means "swelling."

• Errol - Means "wanderer" in Old English.

• Evanesco (Vanishing Spell) - Means "to disappear" or "vanish" in Latin.

• Evans - A Celtic name that means "young warrior."

• Expecto Patronum (Spell used to conjure a Patronus) - In Latin, "expecto" is to "await, desire, or hope for" and "patronus" is "protector."

• Expelliarmus (Disarming Spell) - Latin combination "to expel" and "arma" (weapon).

F Titles

• Fawkes (Dumbledore's phoenix) - Guy Fawkes was an English Catholic who, in 1605, tried to blow up the House of Parliament as an act of rebellion against the new Protestant government. In England, November 5th is now known as "Guy Fawkes Day" (or "Bonfire Night") where Guy Fawkes is burned in effigy. Every year he is resurrected to burn again. It can also be noted that he is known as one of the most infamous traitors in English history.

• Felix Felicis (Luck Potion) - Latin for "lucky, fortunate or happy." Perhaps associated with "Felix the Cat," a cartoon that has extremely good luck and is successful at everything he does. "Felix" from the name of the cat, and "Felicis" which is reminiscent of "feline," meaning "cat." "Felicis" could be derived from the word "felicity," which means "extreme happiness and/or the ability to find the appropriate expression for one's thoughts." It can also mean "a particularly effective feature of a work of literature or art."

• Fenrir - Fenrir or Fenris in Norse mythology. Fenrir (or Fenris) is a gigantic and terrible monster in the shape of a wolf. He is the eldest child of Loki and the giantess Angrboda. The gods learned of a prophecy which stated that the wolf and his family would one day be responsible for the destruction of the world. They caught the wolf and locked him in a cage, bound in chains made by dwarves. Fenrir then requested that one of the gods put their hand in his mouth before he was chained as a sign of good faith. Tyr, the god of war and justice, did and his hand was bitten off(Pettigrew?). In the final battle, Fenrir will escape from his bindings and eat Odin (Lucius?), and Odin's son Vidar (Draco?) will kill him by stabbing him in the heart or ripping his jaws apart. Other stories claim Fenrir will be killed with Vidar's iron boot (Pettigrew?). Also, the evil wolf Captain serving the White Witch in C.S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was named Fenris Ulf.

• Ferula (Spell that creates a splint or wooden rod) - From the Latin word "ferula," meaning a "rod to beat children with."

• Fidelius (Charm that makes someone a Secret-Keeper) - "Fidelis" is Latin and means "faithful" if it's connected with people, and "safe" if it's connected with things.

• Figg, Mrs. Arabella - "Fig" means "not literal" and a fig leaf is something that conceals or camouflages.

• Filch - To "steal."

• Finite Incantatem (Spell that cancels out other spells) - Could be related to the Latin "Incantationem," which means "incantation." Together the phrase translates as "Stop the incantation!"

• Firenze - Italian name for the city of Florence. Florence was the same city that the famous astronomer Galileo lived in for most of his life. In fact, he died in his estate while serving out his life-long house-arrest sentence issued by the Inquisition, as they found him guilty of heresy.

• Flitwick - A town in England. It could also be interpeted as the movement of a wand - flit (to move quickly from one spot to another) and wick (a stick shaped cord of woven fibres).

• Fleur Delacour - Means "Flower of the Court" in French. It could also be a clever play on the similar French word "coeur" meaning "heart" (Veela's captivate men's hearts).

• Fluffy - "Cerberus" the three-headed dog was the guardian of the underworld in Greek mythology. Orpheus got past Cerberus by lulling it to sleep with music. You get past Fluffy by lulling it to sleep with music.

• Fudge - "Fudge," besides being a delicious chocolate confection, can mean "nonsense." As a verb, it means to "evade" or to "falsify." In technological jargon, it means "to perform in an incomplete but marginally acceptable way."

G Titles

• Gabrielle (Delacour) - In Hebrew, Gabrielle means "hero of God."

• Gilderoy - A highwayman known for being handsome. May also come from the word "gilded," which is defined as having a "pleasing, showy appearance, which covers something of little worth." The name "Roy" is Old French for "regal one" or "king."

• Ginny - "Ginevra," Italian female, woman of the people. There is an old myth about a bride named Ginevra, who playfully hid in a trunk on her wedding day. The lid fell, burying her alive; and eventually her skeleton was discovered. This could relate to Ginny being taken into the Chamber of Secrets where her 'skeleton would lie forever.' However, JK Rowling has also said that she picked the name because she wanted something different and special for the only Weasley girl!

• Granger - Possibly from the Granger movement in the 1800s, a movement to improve the lives of farmers. Could be a connection to Hermione's desire to start SPEW. Granger is the name of a character from the book Fahrenheit 451. He is the leader of a groups of intellectuals known as "The Book People" whose goal is the preservation of liturature in the face of their governments efforts to burn and destroy all books. A possible referrence to Hermione's fanatical love of books?

• Greyback - Term used for the dominant male in a band of gorillas.

• Grindelwald - Perhaps derived from the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf character Grendel, the demon. Also, a well-known hotel chain in Germany. (Many theories in which the Dark wizard Grindelwald is compared to Hitler have been explored by Harry Potter fans in the past, especially since the date of his demise, 1945, is the same as the end of WWII.) A beautiful village in the mountains of Bernese Oberaland, Switzerland.

• Grimmauld Place - "Grim Old Place" (play on words).

• Gryffindor, Godric - Godric of Finchale is an Anglo-Saxon saint. A griffin was a creature in mythology with the body of a lion and the head of an eagle. In French "d'or" means "of gold," one of Gryffindor House's colors.

H Titles

• Hagrid - Possibly be related to the word haggard (Grawp calls him "Hagger!") which means "hidden or to hide." A haggard can also mean "appearing worn and exhausted, gaunt." "Wild or distraught in appearance, a disheveled individual." From the Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy, the Old English term "hag-rid" means "indigestion" (not surprising considering all the weird things Hagrid eats). Found in the exact same paragraph as "dumbledore." Coincidence? Hagrid also describes a "pale, wan and haunted" individual. The term comes from the belief witches (hags) could turn sleepers into steeds and ride them to their gatherings.

• Hannah (Abbott) - Hannah means "grace."

• Harry - J.K. Rowling's favourite boy's name. The name Harry is of Anglo-Saxon origin and means "power." There was also a magician named Harry Houdini in the 1900s.

• Hedwig - A saint that lived in Germany in the 13th and 14th centuries. Means "refuge in battle." Mentioned in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

• Hepzibah - The name comes from the Hebrew "Cheftzibah," which literally translated means "my desire is for it" or "my will is in it."

• Hermes - The Greek Messenger.

• Hestia (Jones) - Member of the Order of the Phoenix. In Greeky mythology, Hestia was the goddess of the hearth and domestic activity."

• Hermione - Means "well-born" or "stone." Refers to peony-type flowers. Feminine version of Hermes. In Greek mythology, was often known as the patron saint of high magic. No surprise our Hermione is so gifted. In Greek mythology, she was the daughter of Helen of Troy and King Menelaus of Sparta. Hermione is also a character in Shakespeare's A Winter's Tale.

• Hippogriff - Derived from the Greek word "hippos" meaning "horse" and the magical creature known as the griffin. In this case, it has the body of a horse as oppose to a lion, but keeps the head of an eagle.

• Hog's Head - Pub in Hogsmeade. In Old English, a "hoggshead" was a medium-sized barrel holding fifty-four gallons of ale. Similar to the Boar's Head Tavern in Shakespeare's Henry IV

• Horace - English and French form of Horatius, a Roman family name possibly derived from Latin "hora," meaning hour, time, and season. A famous bearer was Quintus Horatius Flaccus, a Roman lyric poet in the first century B.C.

• Horcrux - In Latin, "crux" comes from the noun "crux." "Crucis" means "pain or torture," and "hor" is a shortened form of the noun "horreum," which means "storehouse." Thus, "tormenting storehouse." The English meaning for "crux" is "the critical feature or essence," like the crux of an argument. Similar to the Latin translation, it then becomes understood as "essence storehouse." Many consider the soul to be the essence of an individual.

I Titles

• Impedimenta (Spell used to slow down attackers) - "Impedio" is Latin for "I hinder." In Latin, "Impedimenta" means "obstacle," as in creating an obstacle to impede one's path or goal.

• Imperio (Imperius Curse) - "Imperio" is Latin for "to control" and "imperium" is Latin for "absolute control."

• Incendio (Spell that sets things on fire) - In Latin, "incendere" means "to set fire to something." "Incendio" also means "great fire" in Spanish.

• Incarcerous (Spell that makes ropes appear to wrap someone up) - In Latin, "carcer" means "prison."

• Inferi - In Latin, means "those down below; the dead."

• Inigo Imago (Author of Dream Oracle, a Divination textbook) - "Inigo" is a male name meaning "ardent or fiery" and "Imago" means "image." Imago Therapy is also a psychoanalytic technique used for helping bring out meaing from the subconscious.

J Titles

• James - Means supplanter. To supplant is to to take the place of, or substitute, especially through intrigue or underhanded tactics. James was also an apostle of Jesus.

K Titles

• Knockturn Alley - Nocturnally (play on words).

• Kreacher - "Creature" (play on words).

• Krum - In Swedish, "krum" means to have a "crooked back." A famous Bulgarian czar circa 800 A.D. known for killing the Byzantine emperor and making a goblet out of his skull.

L Titles

• Legilimency - In Latin, from "legere" meaning "to read" and "mens" meaning "mind."

• Levicorpus (Spell that suspends an individual in mid-air) - Latin meaning to "raise the body."

• Libatius (Borge) - The author of Advanced Potion Making. In Homer's The Odyssey, amongst other Greek myths, the Libation potion is used to bring up ghosts from the Underworld. After drinking the potion they are then able to speak.

• Liberacorpus (Spell that releases or frees the individual suspended in mid-air) - Latin meaning to "free the body." Counter-curse to Levicorpus.

• Lily - A flower symbolizing purity and innocence.

• Little Whinging - The house on Privet Drive is in the suburb of Little Whinging. "Whinge" is a British word for whining and complaining.

• Lockhart - Lockhart is a world renowned cognitive psychologist who's particular interest is in the study of 'memory' and levels of processing. He did alot of research in this area in the late 1970s. Town in Australia near Wagga Wagga ("Compose a poem about my defeat of the Wagga Wagga Werewolf"?). A possibly play on words as he seems to have so many women's "heart locked" on him.s

• Lucius - A Latin male first name. Also possibly a connection to the similar sounding "Lucifer" (the devil). Lucifer means "light-bearer." In Romanian, "lucios" means "shiny," a possible connection to his desire for the extravagant and valuable. A Roman General named Lucius Cornelius Sulla was usurped by the people of Rome, but defeated them and seized control as a dictator. After doing so, he removed most of the popular say in the government and returned it to the Senate of Rome, which controlled the people, and founded a firm Republic. (Thanks to Rosemary for this great theory!)

• Ludo - Latin meaning "to play."

• Lumos (Spell used to make a wand emit light) - "Lumen" is Latin for "light" and "luminous" means "emitting light" in English.

• Luna - The Roman goddess of the moon. Lunar means "moon." Also, it is a term for silver in alchemy, and means "moon" itself in Latin, Romanian and Italian. In Romanian, it also translates to "month."

• Lupin - Lupus is the Latin derivative for "wolf." Lupin means "wolf-like." Canis Lupus is the scientific name for wolf.

M Titles

• Mason, Mr. (Visits the Dursleys in Chamber of Secrets) - A mason is an extremely skilled builder.

• Malfoy - In Latin, "mal" means "pale." "Mal foi" means "bad faith, an act with bad intentions, or a malicious act" in French. "Mal de foi" means a "loss of faith." The similar French phrase "Mal fait" can be interpeted as "badly made" or "evil deeds." Similarly, in Portuguese, (JK Rowling taught English in Portugal for a few years) "Mal foi" means "was bad" or "is bad." In Arthurian legends, Lancelot (King Arthur's greatest knight and his betrayor) is sometimes called "Le Chevallier Mal Fait" (the "mal fait" knight). "Foy" means a farewell feast, drink, or gift, as at a wedding.

• Marietta - "Little Bitter."

• Marvolo - Implies "marvelous," but also contains the Latin root "volo" meaning to "wish, want, will, ordain, suppose, maintain that, be willing, to mean, signify, or denote." "Volo" also means "to fly, speed, or move rapidly." Tom Riddle can be seen as a character who wants to achieve greatness very quickly. Perhaps from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night character Malviolo. He was a Puritan, who could not have fun and sought to stop the other servants from enjoying themselves. He is "sick with self love" and dreams of getting power. He thinks he is better than the others because he thinks he is "pure." He is constantly the subject of practical jokes. It is here where the quote "Some are born great, some acheive greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them" comes from. At the end of the play, he swears revenge on the lot of them.

• McDonald, Natalie - In Goblet of Fire (American hardcover edition, pg. 180), a girl named Natalie McDonald was sorted into Gryffindor House. She was a real girl who was suffering from a terminal illness. She wrote JK Rowling a letter. JK Rowling wrote back to Natalie and her letter included an outline of Goblet of Fire so if Natalie died, she would know how the book went. Unfortunately, the letter was too late. In memory of Natalie McDonald, JK Rowling included her name in Goblet of Fire.

• Merope - Means "bee-eater" and also translates to "eloquent" and "mortal." Meropia is a condition of partial blindess. The name Merope is used numerous times in Greek mythology...Additionally, Merope was a member of the Pleiades sisters (nymphs) and was shamed eternally for marrying a mortal (Sisyphus). Since her parents were angered they made her star, Merope, weakest in the Pleiades constellation. Compare this to Merope Gaunt, a witch shamed for marrying a Muggle. A third Merope in Greek mythology, is one of the Heliades, or daughters of Helios. The Heliades were turned into poplar trees and their tears turned to amber by Helios himself. A fourth Merope was the daughter of King Oenopion who was wooed by Orion, apparently with little success.

• Millicent - Millicent is derived from the Norman French name Melisende, which was itself derived from the Germanic name Amalaswinth. It is composed of the Germanic elements "amal" meaning to "work, labour" and "swinth," meaning "strength". This was the name of a daughter of Charlemagne."

• Minerva - The Roman counterpart to the Greek goddess named Athena. Both women in their respective mythologies represent war, handicraft and practical reason or wisdom.

• Mirror of Erised - Erised backwards is desire (as in "you'll see what you desire"). The inscription around the top of the Mirror of Erised, if shown backwards with the spaces rearranged, says: "I show not your face, but your heart's desire." Oddly enough, Eris was the Greek goddess of strife.

• Moody - Not in a good mood.

• Morfin (Gaunt) - Probably taken from Celtic myth. Morfan was the son of the Celtic Fertility God Ceridwen and was a fearsome warrior. Morfan fought with King Arthur in his last battle with Carlan. At first, none of Sir Mordred's men would fight against Morfan, because he was so ugly that they believed he might be the devil.

• Morsmordre (Makes the Dark Mark appear in the sky) - Combination between "mors" (Latin for "death") and "mordere" (Latin for "to bite"). Death bite? No -- Death Eater. In Norwegian, "mordre" means "to kill."

• Mugwump - One who sits on both sides of an issue. Referring to the "Supreme Mugwump." Originally an Algonquian word "mugquomp," meaning "chief" it became the word for a political party who wouldn't make up their mind about something in the early to mid 1800's.

• Mundungus - A stinking tobacco.

• Myrtle, Moaning - a type of evergreen shrub that is often overlooked because of its plainess.

N Titles

• Nagini - "Naga" is "snake" in Sanskrit and "Nagin" means "female snake" in Urdu. A reference to Rudyard Kipling's cobra character Nagina, referred to as Nagini in some translations?

• Narcissa - "Narcissism" means "the excessive love of oneself." In Greek mythology, Narcissus was a man who believed himself to be the most handsome man on the planet. He died of grief, because he could not get love from his reflection in the water. When he was buried, a flower bloomed on his grave - a narcissus.

• Neville - Old French for "from the new farmland."

• Nicholas Flamel - Was a real alchemist, and supposedly DID create the Philosopher's Stone (not "Sorcerer’s"). The tale was that he had spent decades of his life trying to create the Philosopher's Stone, which could turn any metal in to gold and unlock the secrets to immortality, but could not figure it out.

• Nigellus - Nigellus might be derived from the Latin word "niger" which means both "black" and "evil."

• Nimbus - A rain or storm cloud. Nimbus was a god in Greek mythology. Nimbus is also derivative of nimble - quick, light or agile in movement or action. Perfect qualities for a broomstick.

• Norris, Mrs. - A character in Mansfield Park by Jane Austen, one of JK Rowling's favorite authors. The character is a busybody, always into everyone's business and trying to run things the way she wants to, even though she's not really in a position of power. Sounds like Filch's favorite feline!

• Nox (Spell that cancels out Lumos) - "Nox" is Latin for "darkness."

• Nymphadora (Tonks) - "Nymphadora" translates as "Gift of the Nymphs." A "nymph," in Greek mythology, refers to a member of group of female "spirits" found in different types of nature. They are further classified by where they were found. They also had the ability to change shapes, a very clear connection to Tonks's own ability to shapeshift. In Latin, "nympha" translets to "a bride" and "Nymphae" to "the Nymphs."

O Titles

• Occlumency - From the Latin word "occludo," meaning to "close, shut up, or close off."

• Olympe Maxime - From French "Olympe" means "Olympus," referring to Mount Olympus, the home of the gods in Ancient Greece. Maxime could come from the French "maxim," meaning a "succint formulation of some fundamental principle or rule of conduct." Very appropriate for a headmistress. Both names give a sense of extreme size, with "Maxime" also sounding like the word "maximum," meaning the largest in size.

• Oppugno (Spell that makes conjured creatures attack on the command of the conjurer) - In Latin, means "I attack."

• Orchideous (Spell that makes flowers spring out of the tip of a wand) - Orchid is a type of flower.

P Titles

• Padma - Means "lotus" in Sanskrit. In Hindu myth, this was another name of both the hero Rama and the goddess Lakshmi.

• Padfoot - Yorkshire name for a large phantom black dog. It was as big as a calf and haunted lonely roads.

• Pansy - Type of flower. Derived from the Old French "pensee," which means "thought."

• Parselmouth - An old word for an individual whom has problems with their mouth.

• Parvati - Parvati is a Hindu goddess married to Hindu god Shiva the Destroyer. She gave birth to a baby boy named Ganesh, whom Shiva beheaded, but replaced the old head with an elephant head after Parvati reamed him out. Sister of the Goddess of the Ganges, Padma. There was a character named "Parvati the Witch" in Salman Rushdie's novel Midnight's Children, in which the names "Padma" and "Patil" were also significant.

• Patil - Is its own surname and is quite common in the state of Maharashtra in India. It is pronounced "PAH-till" and is completely different from "Patel" other than them both being Indian surnames.

• Patronus (Charm used in defense against dementors) - "Patronus" is Latin for "protector."

• Peeves - "Peeve" means "little devil" or something that "gets on your nerves" (like a pet peeve).

• Pensieve - The verb "penser" in French means "to think." Perhaps a combination of the English words "pensive" and "sieve." To "be pensive" is to be "wistful or thoughtful" and "a sieve" is "a utensil of wired mesh used for sifting."

• Percival - One of the legendary Knights of the Round Table. The name itself means "pierces the veil," "pierces the valley," or "destroyer." It also translates as "bringer of peace" and "from the pear tree."

• Perenelle (Flamel) - The wife of the famous inventor of the Sorcerer's Stone, Nicholas Flamel, her name means "stone" in Polish. Could also refer to "perennial" meaning "continuing without interruption."

• Pettigrew - Pettigrew could be interpreted two ways. 1. "Petty - grew" meaning he grew into a petty (unimportant, narrow-minded) person or 2. "pet - I - grew" foreshadowing the incident where Peter grew out of his rat form and back into a man in the Shrieking Shack. Also, from the French "petit gros" or "little, fat person."

• Petunia - A trumpet-shaped flower, with white or purple blossoms. The petunia symbolizes anger and resentment.

• Phineas - In Hebrew, means "serpent's mouth" or "loudmouth." For more see Andromeda.

• Pigwigdeon - A "pigwidgin" is a term for a small fairy, and later, anything that was small. Pigwidgeon is the name of a mischievous fairy in the poems of Michael Drayton.

• Pince, Madam - Pince-nez is french for "pinch [the] nose". They are a pair of glasses with no side ear temples, just lenses and their frames. They clip on the bridge of the nose. These type of eyeglasses are sometimes seen on stern or bookish people in literature, movies, and television.

• Pomona (Sprout) - Pomona is the name of a Roman divinity. According to Edith Hamilton's book Mythology, "She cared for fruits and orchards and that was all she cared for. Her delight was in pruning and grafting and everything that belongs to the garderner's art. She shut herself away from men, alone with her beloved trees, and let no wooer come near her."

• Potter - "Potter's Field" is often the name given to a cemetery where a city or town buries those who have gone unclaimed or unwanted (a community's orphans). "Potter's Field" is also considered a cursed land because Judas hung himself in one.

• Privet Drive - In England, 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. Dursleys anyone? Privet also means "prohibition." The street name could possibly be derived from the word "private."

Q Titles

• Quibbler - To "quibble" means to "evade the truth or importance of" an issue by raising trivial distinctions and objections. A "quibble" is an archaic term for a "pun." A term used to describe Ancient Greek philosophers. The philosophers were referred to by the commoners as "quibblers" and the act of philosophizing was known as "quibbling."

• Quidditch - JK Rowling has stated that the origin of this name is entirely made up (she wrote five pages of "Q" words until she found one that she liked), but it is still interesting to the note that the word "quiddity" means "the essence or real nature of a thing."

• Quietus (Spell that cancels out "Sonorus") - Obviously "quiet" means to be "silent", and "quietus" in Latin means to be "quiet."

• Quirrell - Perhaps derived from the word squirrel, for a group of nervous, nut-eating rodents that live in trees. The professor was a scared, shaky man who behaved a lot like one, later an act to cover up his allegiance to Voldemort. Possibly from "querulous" meaning full of "doubts and questions."

R Titles

• Rastaban (Lestrange) - Rastaban means "serpent's head." Not very surprising for a Death Eater.

• Reducio (Shrinking Charm) - "Reduce" means "to make smaller" in English and also "Reduco" in Latin means "to reduce."

• Regulus (Sirius' brother) - The name of the brightest star in the Alpha Leo (lion) constellation. Although this might seem odd at first, considering he was not a Gryffindor - lions in mythology are often used to symbolise those fierce or pure of heart (pureblood?). Means "prince" and "heart of the lion."

• Remus - Brother of Romulus (founder of Rome). They were raised by a female wolf. He was killed by Romulus.

• Rictusempra (Laughing Spell) - In Latin, "sempra" is derived from "semper" meaning "always" or "at all times," and "rictum" meaning "jaws" or "open mouth." Possibly derived from the Latin words to mean "constantly laughing."

• Riddikulus (Spell used to transform a scary boggart into a humorous shape) - "Ridiculous" means "absurd."

• Riddle - A riddle is a form of word puzzle designed to test someone's ingenuity in arriving at its solution. Riddles were used as a way to both puzzle the audience and teach them to understand poetic language.

• Ron - Interesting when taken in conjunction with Arthur. He is the advisor to the king. Comparisons can be made here between Ron being an advisor to Harry on all of his choices and adventures. Both Ron and Hermione listen to Harry's plan and then either agree with or tell them why they think his idea is not a good one.

• Ronan - An Irish saint. A "ronin" was a name given to a masterless samurai, a wanderer, during the Feudal Period of Japan that lasted from 1185 to 1868. Ronins were often the targets of humiliation and satires.

• Rosmerta - In Gaulish Celtic mythology, Rosmerta was the goddess of fire, warmth, and abundance.

• Rubeus - "Ruber" is latin for "red."

• Rufus - Latin for "red-haired."

S Titles

• Salazar - António de Oliveira Salazar was the Fascist dictator in Portugal at the same time that Mussolini, Franco and Hitler. He had the same extremist right-wing ideology as the others, exercised great prejudice and ruled using fear.

• Sanguini - One of the only vampires we have met. "Sanguis" is the Latin word for "blood." "Sang" means "blood" in French. "Sanguinary" means "blood-thirsty."

• Scamander, Newt - Magizoologist who wrote and narrated Fantastic Beasts. Scamander was the son of Andromache and Hector. Sounds like "salamander." A newt is kind of salamander.

• Scrimgeour - A possible connection to this Family Crest? Click on "S" in the left-hand column and look for the "Scrimgeour" Crest. No wonder he resembles a lion. A "scrim" is a curtain that when lit from the front, nothing can be seen behind the curtain. When the curtain is lit from behind, anything behind the curtain can be seen. Is the good Minister hiding something?

• Sectumsempra (Spell used to seriously cut another person) - In Latin, "sectum" means to "cut, wound, or amputate" and "sempra" is derived from the word "semper" meaning "always" or "at all times." Hence, to wound always or make a permanent wound.

• Serpensortia (Spell used to make snakes appear) - In Latin, "serpens" means "snake" and "ortus" means "origin." In French, "sortir" means "to come out of something."

• Severus - Sever means "to cut off." Severe also means cruel, strict. In ancient history, Lucius Septimius Severus restored stability to the Roman Empire after the tumultuous reign of the emperor Commodus (See Albus) and the civil wars that erupted in the wake of Commodus' murder (if you watched "Gladiator" then you should know this). Severus is mentioned in Mansfield Park by Jane Austen.

• Shunpike, Stan - A "shunpike" is a "road people use to avoid paying a toll or fare."

• Sibyll - Sibyll comes from the Sibyls, who were famous prophets in ancient mythology.

• Silencio (Spell used to silence) - Could come from the Spanish word "silencio," meaning "silence."

• Sirius - Named after the star, Sirius, also known as the Dog Star or Great Dog (Canis Major). It is the brightest star in the sky, often called "scorching," which quite suits his personality.

• Sinistra, Professor - The Latin 'sinister' meaning on the left. In ancient cultures (such as the Babylonians), the left side was often associated with evil, black magic or bad luck. We wonder what this means for our dear Astronomy teacher! Could also refer to the left side of the brain, showing she is both logical and analytical, important qualities for Astronomy.

• Skeeter, Rita - "Skeeter" is short for "mosquito." As most people can attest, mosquitoes are among the most annoying lifeforms on this planet.

• Slytherin - Sounds like "slither," as in to slither like a snake. No coincidence the Slytherin House is represented by a snake. Salazar Slytherin was also a Parselmouth (name for those who can speak to snakes). Slytherins are known to be "sly" individuals as snakes are know to be very "sly" creatures.

• Smith - The most common surname. Derived from the Anglo-Saxon "Smitan", meaning to "smite" or "strike."

• Snape - A town in England, also based after a person JK Rowling knew.

• Sonorous (Spell used to magnify a voice like a loudspeaker) - "Sonorus" is Latin for "loud."

• Sprout, Professor - A suitable name for a Herbology teacher. Sprout means to "spring up and grow."

• Squib - Johnson's Dictionary defines as "any petty fellow". The term has fallen out of use. Epithet for somebody who wrote insulting articles and pamphlets. A quote from the Vicar of Wakefield by Oliver Smith (1766): "I am too old now to be frightened with squibs." A "squib" is also a small firework that fizzes out rather than doing anything exciting. "Damp squib" is an expression for something that turns out to be a disappointment.

• Stupefy (Spell used to make someone unconscious) - "Stupefy" in English means "dull the senses of; daze."

• Susan (Bones) - Short form of Susannah. Derived from the Hebrew name "Shoshan" meaning "lily."

T Titles

• Tom Marvolo Riddle - If you rearrange the letters, it spells: "I am Lord Voldemort." The name "Tom" means "twin."

• Toujours Pur (Black family motto) - French for "Always Pure". Remember that most of the Black family consider half-bloods to be below them.

• Trevor - From a surname originally from a place meaning "big village." From Welsh, "tref" meaning "village" and "mawr" meaning "large."

• Trelawney - Trelawney is a Cornish family tracing back to Saxon days. In 1668, Jonathan Trelawney became Dean of St Buryan, afterwards Bishop of Rochester, and one of the seven Bishops imprisoned in the Tower of London and subject of the great Cornish song "And shall Trelawney die." Apparently, the song is/was the Cornish National Anthem.

U Titles

• Umbridge - Sounds like "umbrage," which is a feeling of anger caused by an offense. In Latin, "Umbra" means "shadow or ghost" and can also be interpreted as "jealous or suspicious of another" or "standing in one's light or way." The phrase "to take umbridge" means to "cause offense and make trouble."

V Titles

• Vector, Professor (Arithmancy teacher) - A vector is a mathematical quantity completely specified by a magnitude and a direction.

• Veritaserum (Truth Potion) - "Veritas" is Latin for "truth" and "serum" is a potion.

• Veela - Perhaps comes from the "Vilia," a wild woodland sprite mentioned in Franz Lehar's A Merry Widow. The Vilia transfixed the huntsman so that he fell in love with her and as a result, he wanted her to love him, or he would die. The Veela seem to make boys mesmerized boys seem to love impressing and looking at them.

• Viktor - His first name means the "victorious one," appropriate for the best Seeker in the Quidditch World Cup.

• Voldemort, Lord - There was a dark wizard in medieval times named Voldermortist. In another language, Voldermortist means "Lord of Evil" or "Dark Lord." Legend has it that Voldermortist once tried to destroy Merlin before the time of King Arthur (Mr. Weasley?) by bewitching good people and simply bribing those who already were evil. Legend has it that Merlin destroyed Voldermortist by using a simple Paralyzing Charm (full body bind?), fed him to the many-headed-beast (Fluffy?) of the lake, the Lady of the Lake's pet (Giant Squid?), freed the bewitched people, and destroyed the evil men. That was maybe twelve, thirteen years before Arthur (how long it was from Voldemort's destruction until Harry started Hogwarts). In many European languages, "mort" or "mord" refer to death or evil. In French, Voldemort means "flight from death" (meaning escaping death). Also in French, "vol" also translates as "the act of stealing," giving Voldemort's name the alternate meaning to "steal from death." In Norwegian, "vold" means "violence." "Volde" could be derived from the Latin "valde," meaning great, exceedingly, strongly, powerfully. Using these defintions Lord Voldemort's name would then mean "excessive, great, or extreme death."

W Titles

• Weasley - From JKR's site weasels were known to have a bad reputation, especially, in Ireland, as an unfortunate animal. And well, the Weasleys are unfortunate because they're poor. JKR said: "Ron was the only one of three major characters whose surname never changed; he has been 'Weasley' from start to finish. In Britain and Ireland the weasel has a bad reputation as an unfortunate, even malevolent, animal. However, since childhood I have had a great fondness for the family mustelidae; not so much malignant as maligned, in my opinion." The Weasleys and the weasel both share red hair. The Weasleys live near Ottery St Catchpole, and it is interesting that a family that sounds like weasel lives near a town that sounds like otter.

• Weird Sisters, The (Music band) - The Weird Sisters were three witches in Shakespeare's play "Macbeth" who could foresee the future, and elicited evil in Macbeth by means of equivocation.

• Wilhelmina (Grubbly-Plank) - In German, this name means "desire to protect." This would explain why she teaches Care of Magical Creatures.

• Wingardium Leviosa - "Wingardium" is a combination of the English word "wing" and the Latin word "arduus" (meaning "steep") and "Leviosa," which contains the Latin word "levare" (meaning "ease, lift, pick up").

• Wizengamot - Perhaps from "Witenagemot," which was an council of wise elders (called witans) during the Anglo-Saxon period.

• Wulfric - St. Wulfric was described as a hermit. JK Rowling characterizes Dumbledore as a loner. St. Wulfric was a worldly man, as was Dumbledore. St. Wulfric was born in Bristol, the same town Hagrid flew over from Godric's Hollow. St. Wulfric supposedly had the gift of prophecy.

X Titles

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Y Titles

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Z Titles

• Zabini - Derived from the Sabine tribe.

• Zacharias - Greek form of Zechariah. From the Hebrew name Zekaryah, which means "remembers." Zechariah was a prophet in the Old Testament and the father of John the Baptist in the New Testament, who was temporarily made dumb because of his disbelief.