Harry Potter: Why Did Harry and Ginny name their daughter after Luna Lovegood? (2024)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ epilogue placed the Golden Trio’s children in the spotlight. 19 years after the Battle of Hogwarts, audiences watch as the beloved characters send their own children off to Hogwarts. Although her two older brothers are boarding the Hogwarts Express, Harry and Ginny’s daughter is left wishing that she could join them. It is here that audiences learn that the couple’s daughter is named Lily, after Harry’s late mother. However, Lily’s full name actually honors another significant Harry Potter character – Luna Lovegood.

Lily’s full name has proved to be a controversial topic within the Harry Potter franchise. Fans are confused as to why Harry and Ginny decided to honor Luna whilst naming their daughter, but why has this been a divisive topic, and is there another reason behind Lily’s full name?

RELATED:Harry Potter: 'Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus', Explained

What is Harry and Ginny’s daughter’s full name?

Harry and Ginny’s youngest child is named Lily Luna Potter. The name Lily is a tribute to her late paternal grandmother, Lily Potter. As Harry Potter fans will know, Lily was tragically killed by Voldemort when she was only 21 years old, being torn from Harry when he was only an infant. This is a touching tribute to Harry’s mother and shows that her memory lives on. However, it is Lily Luna Potter’s middle name which has divided fans.

Why are fans confused by their daughter’s name?

The name Luna is a tribute to Luna Lovegood – a friend of both Ginny and Harry’s whilst they were at Hogwarts together. Whilst this is a kind act of friendship, the name Luna appears as a bit of an anomaly, especially when compared to the names of the couple’s other children.

Harry’s eldest son is named James Sirius Potter, an evident tribute to his late father, James Potter, and to his late godfather, Sirius Black. His second son is named Albus Severus Potter, in memory of Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape – both of whom were hugely significant figures in Harry’s life. Unlike these other namesakes, Luna Lovegood is still alive. The other names serve as a reminder of the past, whilst Luna embodies the present - making her name stand out among the others.

More importantly, Luna didn’t appear to hold a huge amount of value in Harry’s life. Whilst she was a loyal and devoted friend to Harry, the pair didn’t seem to be all that close. Similarly, Luna and Ginny appeared more like acquaintances than friends throughout the movies. Some fans have even questioned why Harry didn’t name his daughter after Hermione Granger, as she was a hugely influential and close friend of Harry’s. Unlike Hermione, Luna doesn’t appear within the Cursed Child and is rarely mentioned, showing that she has obviously drifted from her old friends and no longer holds much importance in Harry’s life. Ultimately, it appears out of the blue for Harry and Ginny to name their daughter after a former classmate.

Arguably, Lily Potter’s middle name makes more sense in the books. Due to time restraints, the movies were unable to fully reflect Luna’s close friendship with both Harry and Ginny, and the characters only had a few scenes together. Meanwhile, throughout the books, Luna has a large presence in both Harry's and Ginny’s lives. She was a source of comfort for Harry after the death of Sirius Black and emphasized with his grief after losing her own mother at a young age. Luna’s loyalty to Harry was unwavering, and she had an essential role in helping Harry defeat Voldemort. She fought bravely against the Death Eaters and without her help, Harry would’ve never discovered the Lost Diadem of Ravenclaw. The books emphasize the fact that Harry was one of Luna’s only friends. After being bullied by her classmates, Luna was known to keep a small but close circle of friends around her, and Harry was a hugely comforting presence for her.

The movies largely gloss over Luna’s friendship with Ginny. The pair were in the same year at Hogwarts, and they spent a lot of their time together. Ginny would frequently stand up for Luna if she was being mocked by her peers, creating a strong bond between the pair. However, throughout the movies, they rarely interact with one another. Based on the books, Lily Luna Potter’s name makes a lot more sense. However, some fans have another theory about Harry and Ginny’s daughter’s name.

Is there another reason behind the name Luna?

Some fans believe that the name Lily Luna Potter isn’t actually linked to Luna Lovegood at all. The word Luna is Latin for ‘moon’, connecting Harry and Ginny’s daughter with another significant Harry Potter character.

Remus Lupin was a loving friend of James Potter’s. In order to honor James’ memory, Lupin protected Harry during his time at Hogwarts, teaching him the Patronus Charm in order to fend off Dementors. He was an incredibly kind and influential figure to Harry. As Harry Potter fans will know, Lupin would involuntarily transform into a werewolf during the full moon, which earned him the nickname ‘Moony’. However, during the Battle of Hogwarts, Lupin was tragically killed by a Death Eater. It is believed that Lily Potter’s middle name is actually a tribute to Lupin. Because of Lupin’s influence in Harry’s life, as well as his devastating death, some fans believe that this is a more logical explanation for Lily’s middle name. Following this logic, Harry’s children’s names would honor the Marauders – James, Sirius, and Remus.

However, a few fans argue that the name Luna was Ginny’s input. The names of the couple’s children are dominated by figures in Harry’s life, rather than honoring characters who were important to Ginny. It seems fair that Lily’s middle name should arise from one of Ginny’s closest friends, rather than another figure from Harry’s past. Although the movies neglect this friendship, Lily’s middle name is a reminder about how close the pair truly were.

Ultimately, Luna is one of the bravest and most intelligent characters within the entire Harry Potter franchise. It seems fitting that Harry and Ginny would want to name their daughter after such a strong and influential woman.

MORE: Harry Potter: How Was the Marauder's Map Created?