Meet the Children Named After Harry Potter Characters

ARTS From Albus to Draco, Harry Potter fans named their children after characters of the beloved series. We asked them and their kids how that turned out. By Ellen Gamerman Updated Jan. 2, 2022 Tap story

Parents have long named their kids after favorite characters across pop culture. Now, as young readers who grew up with Harry Potter become parents themselves, they have given their children names straight out of the roll-call at Hogwarts. Phil Noble/Reuters, Cover: Warner Bros./Everett Collection { "selector": ".wsj--ani-text-slide .wsj--animation-wrapper", "duration": "1s", "easing": "ease-out", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "translateY(10px)","opacity":"0"}, {"transform": "translateY(0)","opacity":"1"} ] }

Twenty years have elapsed since the first Harry Potter film made its debut and even longer since the original books were published. The cultural impact of this fictional universe is a theme discussed in the recent 20th anniversary reunion show on HBO Max. HBO Max { "selector": ".wsj--ani-text-slide .wsj--animation-wrapper", "duration": "1s", "easing": "ease-out", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "translateY(10px)","opacity":"0"}, {"transform": "translateY(0)","opacity":"1"} ] }

In 2000, no U.S. birth certificate recorded the name Hermione. Last year, there were 91. Even the villains did well. No U.S. newborns in 2000 were named Bellatrix, a character who chases Harry Potter across several novels, but last year 21 of them were born. Warner Bros./Everett Collection { "selector": ".wsj--ani-text-slide .wsj--animation-wrapper", "duration": "1s", "easing": "ease-out", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "translateY(10px)","opacity":"0"}, {"transform": "translateY(0)","opacity":"1"} ] }

For new generations born into a world of superhero movies and streaming platforms, Harry Potter’s ubiquity is no longer a given. Not all the children in 7-year-old Albus Cunningham’s class are obsessed with The Boy Who Lived, but Albus said he enjoys being named after a master of spells. Christopher D. Cunningham { "selector": ".wsj--ani-text-slide .wsj--animation-wrapper", "duration": "1s", "easing": "ease-out", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "translateY(10px)","opacity":"0"}, {"transform": "translateY(0)","opacity":"1"} ] }

Harry Potter names often have histories of their own. Albus is Latin for white. Hermione appears in Greek mythology as a child of Helen of Troy and as a character in William Shakespeare’s “The Winter’s Tale.” Luna means moon in Latin, while Bellatrix is warrior. Peter Macdiarmid/Getty { "selector": ".wsj--ani-text-slide .wsj--animation-wrapper", "duration": "1s", "easing": "ease-out", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "translateY(10px)","opacity":"0"}, {"transform": "translateY(0)","opacity":"1"} ] }

Hermiones have a particularly tough go Some people hear “Armani,” like the designer. It is commonly mistyped as “Hermoine” in emails. Still, Hermione Hoby, a 37-year-old novelist from Boulder, Colo., is tickled by her name’s impact on younger Harry Potter fans. Hoby family { "selector": ".wsj--ani-text-slide .wsj--animation-wrapper", "duration": "1s", "easing": "ease-out", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "translateY(10px)","opacity":"0"}, {"transform": "translateY(0)","opacity":"1"} ] }

Several other babies are not on board. Larissa Langsather named both her daughters after Potter characters. Her 14-year-old is named Hermione and her 12-year-old is Ariana, for Dumbledore’s sister. Ariana doesn’t appear to be a superfan in the making. Warner Bros./Zuma { "selector": ".wsj--ani-text-slide .wsj--animation-wrapper", "duration": "1s", "easing": "ease-out", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "translateY(10px)","opacity":"0"}, {"transform": "translateY(0)","opacity":"1"} ] }

Harry is popular for many reasons: Last year, 340 babies were given that name. At the top of the baby-naming market: 17,535 Olivias and 19,659 Liams, the most popular baby names of 2020. Warner Bros./Everett Collection { "selector": ".wsj--ani-text-slide .wsj--animation-wrapper", "duration": "1s", "easing": "ease-out", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "translateY(10px)","opacity":"0"}, {"transform": "translateY(0)","opacity":"1"} ] } Read the full story

Produced by David Starr Read the full story