20 Mind-Blowing Facts You Never Knew About Harry Potter

5. J.K. Rowling Chose The Name Hermione Because No Girl Would Be Bullied Over It

When asked why she chose the peculiar name Hermione for the lead female character, Rowling said that it was to prevent similarly studious girls with a common name from being pigeonholed and bullied. She elaborated, "Hermione is a Shakespearean name... I consciously set out to choose... a fairly unusual name for Hermione, because I didn't want a lot of fairly hard-working little girls to be teased if ever the book was published, because she is a very recognisable type - to which I belonged, when I was young." Naturally, prior to 2001, practically nobody was born called Hermione, though in light of the series' success, that trend has no doubt been reversed. Hopefully these parents know what they're getting their kids into...