Some odd Harry Potter names, what are your thoughts?

[kala_way]

Parker Perenelle - love! my favorite!
Parker Rowena - beautiful, I like this one a lot
Parker Beatrix -beautiful! great option to Bellatrix I think

Parker Helena - pretty, but not great in the flow department
Parker Minerva - okay, same as above
Parker Hermione - okay, I wouldn't use it, but I can understand the love
Parker Emmeline - not bad
Parker Arabella - meh, not a great flow
Parker Elladora - I think these 2 together are a bit too clunky
Parker Ariana - may be too many r's, but it's not bad

Parker Ravenclaw - I understand the love, but I don't think it's usable.
Parker Summerbee - this seems like a first name/last name rather than a mn
Parker Alice - isn't Alice Parker....something, the name sounds familiar. I love the name Alice, but I'm not sure about the combo
Parker Lily - same as above, seems like a swapped fn/ln
Parker Phoenix - I think this is too masculine

[usagurl4]

First of all, since this will be a middle name, I think you can be as creative as you want. Most people don't reveal their middle name to everyone they meet- only to close friends, family and possibly on an application.

Bellatrix- I like this name. It has the popular Bella, paired with the equally fairy-like Trixie. Bellatrix is very feminine and pretty in my opinion.
Amata- This name, though uncommon, isn't too far out there. I can see this working as a possible middle name.
Altheda- I'm not feeling this name. Too much like Athlete in appearance.
Mafalda- Reminds me of the Lion King with Mufasa..
Selwyn- I don't know how to pronounce this name (sorry, never been a fan of HP. Though I LOVE a very HP musical).
Cliodna- I prefer this over Clio. Clio is way too masculine for me and Cliodna softens that name.
Ravenclaw- I would not name your daughter a name that contains "claw" in it. Raven, however, is pretty.
Nymphadora- I think Nymph is kind of cute. Dora is okay. Nymphadora is just too much name for a little one.
Tonks- Sounds surnamish. Might be your style.
Summerbee- This sounds cool. I can only imagine it in the mn spot.
Cedrella- Too much like Cinderella.
Narcissa- Pretty. One of my top picks from your list.
Hermione- Way overused. I do not see the appeal in it.
Malodora- Pretty.
Elladora- Favorite from your list.
Dorea- I see you really like "dor" names. I prefer the other ones you have mentioned.
Eoessa- I won't attempt to pronounce this. I'm sure it's beautiful.
Leopoldina- Save Leopold for the men of this world.
Sacharissa- Sounds Latin and fiesty!
Perenelle - Not a fan.

[erinlw]

The ones I find the most usable are Amata, Altheda, and Elladora.

[skateblinder]

While I love the idea of naming a child after a literary character, I think that it becomes tricky when that character/novel has been in the spot light recently AND automatically conjures an image of that book/character. I would kill to name a daughter Hermione - but is it realistic? It depends. You will spend the rest of your life defending this name. But Hermione is an extreme as it is automatically connected with HP or Shakespeare.

Bellatrix is a bit iffy for me as the character is pure evil and completely un- redeemable. Beatrice or Beatrix may be good alternatives.

Ravenclaw, Nyphadora, Tonks, Summerbee, Narcissa, Eoessa, Leopoldina, Sacharissa are all out for me as they are either 1. Too linked with HP and not a name (Ravenclaw, Summerbee, Tonks…), 2. A name which is not understood easily (Eoessa, Leopoldina, Sacharisse), or 3. A name that is SO Harry Potter or too "out there" (Narcissa = Narcissism and Nymphadora… really?)

Of the list, the following are "usable":
Amata
Altheda
Mafalda
Selwyn
Cliodna
Hermione
Malodora
Elladora
Dorea

I personally think Elladora is cute. Maybe Ella-Dora? Dorea is also cute. Altheda is similar to Althea or Athena, Amata is close to Amita/Anita/Annika. Cliodna is strange, but Cleo/Clio is cute.

Basically I would try to go with a name with meaning, rather then a book character.

Some HP names I love and may be more "realistic" are: Ginevra "Ginny", Minerva, Paloma, Alice, Alicia, Amelia, Angelina, Aurora, Cho, Dolores, Emmeline, Griselda, Helena, Helga, Lee, Luna, Marietta….

Hannah
Cornelia
Millicent
Bathilda (close to Mathilde/Mathilda/Matilda)
Katie
Amy
Cassandra
Violetta
Hesper
Melania
Lucretia
Andromeda
Lysandra
Beatrix
Melinda
Amelia
Susan
Betty
Eleanor
Lavender
Charity
Rosalind
Belvina
Amycus
Greta
Marry
Ellie
Maisie
Cho
Agatha
Magenta
Glinda
Appolline
Fluer
Gabrielle
Ariana
Kendra
Marjorie
Petunia
Lily
Rose
Molly
Severine
Arabella
Laurentia
Carmen
Merope
Miranda
Jean
Jane
Astoria
Daphne

and the list goes on.

[spring13]

Ok, to everyone who's thinking Malodora is a nice name, look: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/malodorous
You like Narcissa? Check out http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/narcissism

This is why random noun or random pretty sound names are dangerous. People convince themselves that anything goes. These words are NOT particularly obscure, i bet they're in every SAT vocab book on the market. Harry Potter is a fantasy novel, people, and just because something appears in a book does not mean that it's acceptable as a name in real life. JK Rowling, like any fantasy writer, invented names or made choices for certain characters because they had specific meanings or implications relevant to those characters. THINK. Please, for the sake of your kids, THINK, and don't just react.

[catloverd]

Ok, to everyone who's thinking Malodora is a nice name, look: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/malodorous
You like Narcissa? Check out http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/narcissism

This is why random noun or random pretty sound names are dangerous. People convince themselves that anything goes. These words are NOT particularly obscure, i bet they're in every SAT vocab book on the market. Harry Potter is a fantasy novel, people, and just because something appears in a book does not mean that it's acceptable as a name in real life. JK Rowling, like any fantasy writer, invented names or made choices for certain characters because they had specific meanings or implications relevant to those characters. THINK. Please, for the sake of your kids, THINK, and don't just react.

I would like to point out Narcissa is greek for daffodil, so it doesn't not necessarily link to narcissism.....

[leonielee]

I especially love Altheda, Cliodna, Nymphadora, and Hermione. A few (Bellatrix or Narcissa, especially) aren't the greatest namesakes, IMO. But the names are interesting enough, and I think pretty much anything goes in MN spot.

[spring13]

I would like to point out Narcissa is greek for daffodil, so it doesn't not necessarily link to narcissism.....

Oh please. I have NEVER seen it used in ANY context where it was not meant to be a reflection of a character's character. Sure it's Greek for daffodil, but the connection with a negative connotation is ancient. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissus_(mythology). I bet the VAST majority of people know the word narcissism or narcissist without being aware that Narcissa is a proper name or that it refers to a flower.

Has anyone used it in history as a proper name? Sure. But you can't escape the negative connection in English, you just can't. Pretending that it's only about pretty flowers is seriously naive, and is the kind of attitude that results in lifelong consequences for a child.

[catloverd]

Oh please. I have NEVER seen it used in ANY context where it was not meant to be a reflection of a character's character. Sure it's Greek for daffodil, but the connection with a negative connotation is ancient. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissus_(mythology). I bet the VAST majority of people know the word narcissism or narcissist without being aware that Narcissa is a proper name or that it refers to a flower.

Has anyone used it in history as a proper name? Sure. But you can't escape the negative connection in English, you just can't. Pretending that it's only about pretty flowers is seriously naive, and is the kind of attitude that results in lifelong consequences for a child.

Wow, rude much..... Narcissa in my opinion is a much better option than Ravenclaw. I don't see you complaining about that one.... which is one that would most likely lead to teasing because what 5 year old would know what Narcissa means or the mythology behind it? While every 5 year old will know Ravenclaw is a house in Harry Potter.

[spring13]

Wow, rude much..... Narcissa in my opinion is a much better option than Ravenclaw. I don't see you complaining about that one.... which is one that would most likely lead to teasing because what 5 year old would know what Narcissa means or the mythology behind it? While every 5 year old will know Ravenclaw is a house in Harry Potter.

In my first response to the OP, i strongly disapproved of Ravenclaw. It's a stupid choice for a real-life name.

You're missing my point. It's not about how a name sounds when a kid is 5, or what their kindergarten classmates think. That 5 year old is going to grow up, is going to learn new words, and be around people who know those words. A name last a lifetime, and parents owe it to their kids to account for that when making choices on their behalf.