Names (was Mr. Malfoy & the Chamber of Secrets?

[Rita Winston]

No: HPFGUIDX 4353

--- In HPforGrownups at egroups.com, Christian Stubø <rhodhry at y...> 
wrote:

> Meaning of Mirjam is unclear, but may be 'the plump'.

In English it's Miriam. Miriam means Marah-Yam, Bitter-Sea. Nice 
co-incidence for Maria Stella Maris (the Virgin Mary, Star of the 
Sea, a title she inherited from the Roman goddess Venus)

For all the common names, like Fred, Bill, Charlie, Molly, Harry, 
even Arthur, I THINK the JKR meaning has more to do with the social 
connotation of the name to modern people than with its etymology. 
(Also, our Bill Weasley may be named after his Uncle Bilious, who saw 
a Grim and died, rather than after any William.)  

I think "Harry" has more to do with the stirring speeches made by the 
Henry V character in Shakespeare's plays and his soldiers' battlecry 
"For England, Harry, and St. George!" than with 'home ruler'. 

I think "Arthur" doesn't have anything to do with bears, but harks 
to King Arthur, who valiantly defended Celtic Britain from invading 
Saxons, and who died promising to return and help when his people 
*really* needed him. Did he return during the Blitz and do something 
to make it stop?