Not All Weasley's are Weasley's

[Mandy]

No: HPFGUIDX 101932


> Kneazelkid again:
> No need to apoligize -- I'm afraid I wans't clear because I was too 
> excited. What I should have said was:
> Snow, that is a very interesting idea! It does seem that Molly is 
> always forgetting that the twins are in the family. As far as your 
> theory that the one or both of the twins will die, I had a similar 
> theory once I started thinking about the names of everyone in the 
> series. 
> Many of them are named by JKR after mytholigical and astronomical 
> characters (see above). I was wondering why the twins don't seem to 
> be named for anyone in mythology (although a recent poster whose 
> name escapes me has some theories) and then I wondered if they are 
> perhaps created after the Gemini twins (who are a constelation). 
> According to mythology, one of the Gemini twins died (in a war, I 
> believe)and the other was so miserable without his brother that he 
> didn't want to go on living. I wonder if perhaps JKR was thinking 
of 
> the Gemini twins when she created Fred and George and if they will 
> be destined to a similar fate.
> Was that more clear?
> 
Mandy here:
I think what is interesting about the Weasley's names is precisely 
that they are not names after constellations or mythological 
characters.  They are in fact good solid, old fashioned and 
rather 'common' or lower class names.

Bill (William), Charlie (Charles), Percy (Percival), Fred (Fredrick), 
George, Ron (Ronald) and Ginny (Ginerva) are strong English names.  
Even the German and French ones are now though of as very English.  
Most are royal names.  To me they are proof that the Weasleys are a 
solid working class family. Strong supporters of their nationality 
and culture.  And the desire of shortening their names to the 
affectionate form, or nick name, shows the Weasleys to be down to 
earth and not willing to be seen to be pretentious in anyway.

The most unusual and pretentious names of the bunch are Percy and 
Ginerva. Percy fits with Percy's desire to see himself as something 
better than his family. Ginerva is just plain old Ginny to all who 
love her taking away any pretension that might have become associated 
with her full name. 

Mandy, who's British and was just wondering if any American readers 
would recognize the subtle class issues involved in the names people 
have in the UK?