Have you ever wondered about the real meanings behind your favorite Harry Potter last names?
Throughout JK Rowling’s wonderous wizarding world, you’ll know that every character bears a unique last name. Many of these surnames hold real-world meanings you may not already know, so we’ve gathered some of the most famous examples for your interest below.
Whether you’re a Harry Potter fan or simply hunting for inspiration for your own magical characters, you’re sure to find something fascinating. With all their hidden meanings, origins, and more, get ready to be charmed by these Harry Potter surnames like never before.
100 Magical Harry Potter Last Names
Each of these Harry Potter surnames tells a story – which is your favorite?
- Abbott – this Hufflepuff student surname means “priest,” full of loyalty and spirit.
- Bagman – an Old English term for a traveling salesman or perhaps a type of criminal.
- Bagshot – is a village in Surrey, perhaps meaning “badger wood.”
- Bell – pretty, short, and melodic among Harry Potter surnames for girls.
- Binns – an Old English name with roots in the northern county of Yorkshire.
- Black – is significant among Harry Potter last names – dark, creepy, and full of familiarity.
- Bones – a creepy sort of surname, best for fans of the Halloween season.
- Boot – an old occupational surname for a seller of boots.
- Brown – a basic color surname, also with an autumnal feel.
- Bryce – a simple British surname for a muggle, often meaning “freckled.”
- Bulstrode – a sturdy British locational name meaning “bull’s marsh.”
- Burbage – a good British name for a witch, after various towns in England.
- Cadogan – the Hogwarts knight-ghost’s name is Welsh, meaning “battle, glory.”
- Carrow – borne by a family of Death Eaters, this Gaelic locational name may also mean “gambler.”
- Cattermole – an English location, also perhaps meaning “four mills” from Old French.
- Clearwater – sounding very pure and tranquil, borne by a Ravenclaw student at Hogwarts.
- Crabbe – among the most villainous last names from Harry Potter, perhaps traditionally used for a fisherman.
- Creevey – a funny surname of Celtic origin, meaning “curly-haired.”
- Cresswell – after various U.K. places, referring to “a well where watercress grows.”
- Crouch – an old Anglo-Saxon name given to someone who lives near a cross.
- Dawlish – an English town name, and Welsh river meaning “black stream, dark river.”
- Delacour – this French surname regally means “of the court.”
- Diggle – a funny place name, perhaps meaning “ditch hill.”
- Diggory – a French name meaning “lost one” for tragic heroes.
- Doge – a very rare surname, also used as an old Italian noble title.
- Dolohov – a Slavic-rooted name borne by a cruel and unforgiving Death Eater.
- Dumbledore – an Old English word meaning “bumblebee,” for the most powerful headmaster of Hogwarts.
- Dursley – named after a town in Gloucestershire, borne by Harry’s unpleasant family.
- Edgecombe – another Old English name referring to a “village on the edge of a valley.”
- Figg – a rare but fun name, perhaps inspired by the fig fruit.
- Filch – meaning “to steal, pilfer,” this name sounds rather untrustworthy.
- Finch-Fletchley – because even students from the wizarding world can have double-barrelled surnames.
- Finnigan – a fun and personable Irish surname, meaning “son of the fair-haired one.”
- Flamel – borne by the real-life, 14th-century French scribe, believed to have created the philosopher’s stone.
- Flitwick – from an English place meaning “river” and “dairy farm,” this name sounds dainty and magical.
- Fudge – the sweetest-sounding name, yet also used as a verb meaning “to conceal, to mislead.”
- Gaunt – meaning “slim, haggard, skeletal,” thus not the most attractive among Potter-themed names.
- Goyle – a villainous surname as stony and unnerving as a “gargoyle.”
- Granger – Hermione’s English and French-rooted surname was traditionally used to denote a “farm worker.”
- Greyback – a scary-sounding surname for a werewolf, also a term for a Confederate soldier.
- Grindelwald – after a village in Switzerland, this name sounds moody and intriguing for a dark wizard.
- Grubbly-Plank – another funny-sounding and very magical, double-barreled surname for a professor.
- Gryffindor – a heroic name referring to a mythical “griffin of gold.”
- Hagrid – this loveable character name translates from the Old English “hagride,” meaning “worry, torment, dread.”
- Hooch – an eagle-inspired name for the flying instructor, also a type of alcohol.
- Hufflepuff – one of the Hogwarts houses, this name resembles hard work, justice, and patience.
- Johnson – among the most commonly-heard Harry Potter surnames, meaning “son of John.”
- Jordan – a trendy surname for a cool guy, with river-inspired Hebrew roots meaning “to flow down.”
- Jorkins – an uncommon surname of uncertain origin, yet still sounding rather familiar in tone.
- Karkaroff – this intimidating-sounding name is Slavic in origin, borne by the shady Durmstrang headmaster.
- Kettleburn – borne by a Hogwarts professor, Kettleburn sounds particularly accident-prone.
- Krum – strong and sporty, meaning “governor prince” from Turkic origins, or maybe “crooked” from German.
- Lestrange – from a French word meaning “foreigner,” borne by a wild and malicious Potter character.
- Lockhart – this romantic-sounding surname means “brave, hardy,” ironically for the character who bears it.
- Longbottom – an embarrassing surname for an underdog, meaning “long valley bottom.”
- Lovegood – this airy name oozes positivity, perhaps for those with rose-tinted glasses.
- Lupin – this floral name suited its werewolf Potter character perfectly, meaning “wolf-like.”
- Malfoy – meaning “bad faith,” you won’t trust characters bearing this villainous surname.
- Moody – like the emotion, this name suits a wild and unpredictable character.
- Ollivander – meaning “olive wand,” this clever name sounds wise and magical.
- Parkinson – a common surname meaning “son of Parkin,” itself a form of Peter (“rock”).
- Patil – a traditional Indian surname meaning “village chief.”
- Pettigrew – an Old Norman name for a small-sized man, untrustworthy among Harry Potter last names.
- Peverell – meaning “piper,” this name is of Old French roots.
- Pince – an uncommon English surname, sounding strict and well-to-do for the Hogwarts librarian.
- Podmore – an uppity-sounding English name meaning “toad moor.”
- Pomfrey – borne by the Hogwarts nurse, possibly rooted in that of a Yorkshire town.
- Potter – the most famous surname on this list, traditionally used for someone who makes pottery.
- Quirrell – sounding like the foraging animal “squirrel,” or perhaps an anger-filled, argumentative “quarrel.”
- Ravenclaw – another of the Hogwarts house names, prided on intellect, wit, and intuitive ideas.
- Riddle – a “puzzling” name for a mysterious figure with a shady style.
- Rookwood – another villainous name with a rustic, forest-esque feel.
- Runcorn – after a town in the county of Cheshire, England, believed to mean “wide cove.”
- Scamander – fascinatingly, a river god bore this head-turning name in ancient Greek mythology.
- Scrimgeour – this long Scottish clan name comes from an Old English word meaning “fencer, swordsman.”
- Shacklebolt – a metallic piece used for a locking mechanism, safe and secure for a wizard Auror.
- Shunpike – a kind of highway side road, making a cool last name for a driver.
- Sinistra – meaning “to the left,” this star-inspired name was aptly borne by the Hogwarts astronomy professor.
- Skeeter – a shady surname, also used as slang for a mosquito in Northern America.
- Slughorn – an instrument, also meaning “war cry” as a Scottish surname for an important man.
- Slytherin – after the shady Hogwarts house, with the creepiest, snake-like sound.
- Smith – the most common surname in the U.K., traditionally used for a blacksmith.
- Snape – from various origins, including Old English (“boggy land”) or, aptly, Old Norse “sneypa” (“dishonor, disgrace”).
- Spinnet – a rare last name, but a “spinet” is a type of piano.
- Sprout – perfect for a herbologist, this leafy-sounding name sounds ready to flourish.
- Thicknesse – an English name meaning “thicket,” one of the longer Harry Potter surnames on this list.
- Thomas – a commonly-heard given and last name with the familiar meaning of “twin.”
- Tonks – meaning “to hit hard,” also perhaps a variant of Tonkins or Tomkins (“son of Thomas”).
- Trelawney – a Cornish family name borne by the effervescent and intriguing Divination professor.
- Twycross – after a British village situated at an intersection, meaning “two crosses.”
- Umbridge – borne by an especially despised character, “umbrage” means “to take offense.”
- Vance – an Old English name for someone who dwells by a “marsh, fen.”
- Vane – also an Old English surname with conceited connotations.
- Vector – a mathematical term appropriate for an arithmancy professor at Hogwarts.
- Voldemort – after the terrifying villain, this invented surname will have people shuddering at the sound.
- Warren – referring to an animal enclosure or home, this was ghost Moaning Myrtle’s surname.
- Weasley – after everyone’s favorite redheaded family, this surname may come from the English animal word “weasel.”
- Wood – borne by the Quidditch captain, this simple surname sounds rustic and homey.
- Yaxley – an English place surname borne by a Death Eater in Harry Potter.
- Zabini – an Italian name, perhaps inspired by the Sabine people who resided in ancient Italy.
