How are wizards named? (was I don't get it)

[rja.carnegie at excite.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 20195

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Vicky Ra" <andromache815 at h...> wrote:
> Barbara: Of course, he received his name at birth and was then bitten by a
> werewolf as a child.  Perhaps his parents should have thought better of the
> name they gave him.
> If ever someone's destiny were in his name...
> 
> I've noticed that names often reflect the personalities of their owners.
> Could it be that wizarding parents name their children when they have a
> better idea of the child's personality? I know Voldy was named right away,
> but his mother was dying. But then, there's the problem of what to call
> children if they are babies, if they don't have a permanent name till
> childhood. This question comes to mind because I hear Native Americans do
> that. Children are given temporary names until more of their character is
> known, so they get a fitting name. Actually, I'm not sure if this is still
> practiced. I know it *was* a century or two ago.

Someone told me there were 500 "nations" of Native Americans
with, presumably, various customs.  Isn't there some business
of being crucified with hooks - 

But you're right that we don't know for sure how _some_
wizarding families name their children.  I say "some" because
the Weasleys, for one, named at least Ginny _before_ she was
old enough to go to Hogwarts after Charlie, Bill, Percy, Fred,
George, and Ron.

Is that the lot?  And what's the theme?  Charles, William
and George were kings of the United Kingdom (let's leave
it at that); Frederick is a royal name elsewhere; if it _is_
Virginia, that was named after Queen Elizabeth's most dubious
virtue (small pun); Ronald Reagan was president of the U.S.;
Percy, Percival, um, Blackadder's sidekick - blame the milkman,
perhaps.  And the father of them all is - gosh, Arthur!

And so that is the secret of book 7 - Ron Weasley's dad
is revealed to be King Arthur of Britain.  (Or not.)

Remus Lupin may, indeed, be from another country and another
culture, where wizard children's names are more meaningful.
Only Hogwarts in Britain, under Dumbledore, would have him.
If Lupin is the patronymic (otherwise he'd be Professor Remus),
well that's just bad luck.  If it _is_ a patronymic and not
just an adjective.

Robert Carnegie
Meretricious!
(well, yes, it is an adjective, but - )