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CHARACTER NAME MEANINGS.
Ash Redfern:
Because Ash Redfern is a lamia vampire, he is named after a natural thing. The name ‘Ash’ may refer to the ash tree, which produces hard, pale wood. This name can be correlated with the character in a few ways. Firstly, Ash has ash-blonde hair. Secondly, ash wood is tough and pale, which describes Ash in two words. Thirdly, because wood can kill Ash, this name may be an indication of the daredevilry that is characteristic of Ash. The name ‘Ash’ can also refer to the residue of fire. Fire can also kill vampires. The surname ‘Redfern’ means ‘dweller by the red fern’. I personally think that in the Night World series, the ‘Redfern’ surname was derived by putting together ‘Red’ and ‘Fern’ since Red Fern is the ancestor of this lamia family.
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Blaise Harman:
The name ‘Blaise’ apparently means ‘one who stutters’ in Latin but this meaning obviously does not agree with the character Blaise Harman. Because the name ‘Blaise’ is pronounced as ‘Blaze’, I personally think the meaning of this name is ‘fire’. This meaning suits Blaise as well, as she has a fiery personality and, being a witch, fire would be an element she calls upon. The surname ‘Harman’ is a variation of the Greek name ‘Harmon’, meaning ‘soldier’. Like their ancestress Hellewise, all Harman witches are zealous fighters.
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David Blackburn:
The name ‘David’ is possibly of Hebrew origin and means ‘beloved’. The surname ‘Blackburn’ is believed to have originated from the Scottish town of Blackburn. This surname is thought to mean ‘dark stream’. These meanings can be correlated to the character David Blackburn in the sense that David has dark hair and he was loved from afar by Gillian Lennox, long before the two realised they were soulmates.
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Delos Redfern:
The name ‘Delos’ may refer to the Greek island Delos. This island was considered sacred to ancient Greeks as twin gods Apollo and Artemis were believed to have been born here. The character Delos Redfern was the Prince of Dark Kingdom, an enclave that was kept secret from humans and Night People alike for thousands of years. The surname ‘Redfern’ means ‘dweller by the red fern’. I personally think that in the Night World series, the ‘Redfern’ surname was derived by putting together ‘Red’ and ‘Fern’ since Red Fern is the ancestor of this lamia family.
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Eric Ross:
The name ‘Eric’ is of Scandinavian origin and means ‘ever powerful’. The surname ‘Ross’ means ‘headland’, which is a projection of land or rock jutting into a body of water. The meanings of these names can’t really be correlated to the character Eric Ross. Perhaps L. J. Smith chose these names for no particular reason.
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Galen Drache:
The name ‘Galen’ means ‘calm’ in Greek. In Witchlight, L. J. Smith mentions that the surname ‘Drache’ means ‘dragon’. The character Galen Drache is a peace-loving shape-shifter. Galen is also the Prince of the First House. The ancestress of the royal Drache family was a dragon, hence the meaning of this surname.
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Gillian Lennox:
The name ‘Gillian’ can mean either ‘youthful’ or ‘sweetheart’ in Latin. The character Gillian Lennox was mistaken for a child by her soulmate when he first met her because of her youngish looks. The surname ‘Lennox’ is of Scottish origin and means ‘amid the elm trees’. Because the character Gillian is a lost Harman witch, I will also provide the origin and meaning of this surname. ‘Harman’ is a variation of the Greek name ‘Harmon’, meaning ‘soldier’. Like their ancestress Hellewise, all Harman witches are zealous fighters.
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Hannah Snow:
In the Night World series, Hannah Snow is depicted as a graceful girl and her name implies just that. In Hebrew, the name ‘Hannah’ means ‘graceful’. The name ‘Snow’, whose origin is unknown, means ‘fair complexion’.
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Hecate:
In the Night World series, Hecate is depicted as the Witch Queen and as the mother of Maya and Hellewise. This representation as a mother and figure worshipped by her descendants is analogous to the goddess Hecate. In Greek mythology, Hecate is the goddess of witchcraft. Thus, the name ‘Hecate’ is of Greek origin and means ‘mother of witches’.
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Hellewise Hearth Woman:
The name ‘Hellewise’ means ‘famous in battle’, which is exactly what is portrayed of Hellewise Hearth Woman in the Night World series. Hellewise fought an epic battle against her evil sister Maya to save the witches from eradication by vampires. For this reason, the witches regard Hellewise as the greatest warrior to have ever lived. ‘Hearth Woman’ is the ancient variation of the surname ‘Harman’. ‘Harman’ itself is a variation of the Greek name ‘Harmon’, meaning ‘soldier’.
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Hunter Redfern:
The name ‘Hunter’ does not require much of an explanation. A hunter is one who hunts. The character Hunter Redfern is a vampire patriarch who enjoys terrorising his prey. The surname ‘Redfern’ means ‘dweller by the red fern’. I personally think that in the Night World series, the ‘Redfern’ surname was derived by putting together ‘Red’ and ‘Fern’ since Red Fern is the ancestor of this lamia family.
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Iliana Dominick:
The name ‘Iliana’ means ‘light’ in Greek. The character Iliana Harman is described in Witchlight as looking impossibly beautiful, almost as if a silver halo surrounds her constantly. The surname ‘Dominick’, which is of Latin origin, means ‘of the lord’. Because the character Iliana is a lost Harman witch, I will also provide the origin and meaning of this surname. ‘Harman’ is a variation of the Greek name ‘Harmon’, meaning ‘soldier’. Like their ancestress Hellewise, all Harman witches are zealous fighters.
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Jade Redfern:
Because Jade Redfern is a lamia vampire, she is named after a natural thing. The name ‘Jade’ refers to the precious stone of the same name. One mystical property of the jade crystal is that it is said to promote love. The surname ‘Redfern’ means ‘dweller by the red fern’. I personally think that in the Night World series, the ‘Redfern’ surname was derived by putting together ‘Red’ and ‘Fern’ since Red Fern is the ancestor of this lamia family.
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James Rasmussen:
The name ‘James’ can mean ‘the supplanter’ or ‘the handsome one’. The surname ‘Rasmussen’ is a derivative of the Nordic name ‘Rasmus’, which itself means ‘loveable’. The character James Rasmussen certainly was!
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Jez Redfern:
The name ‘Jezebel’ means ‘impure’ in Hebrew. The character Jezebel Redfern discovers she is half human and half vampire in Huntress. For a great part of the book, this Night World character considers herself an impure half-breed. The surname ‘Redfern’ means ‘dweller by the red fern’. I personally think that in the Night World series, the ‘Redfern’ surname was derived by putting together ‘Red’ and ‘Fern’ since Red Fern is the ancestor of this lamia family.
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John Quinn:
The name ‘John’ is of Hebrew origin and means ‘the grace or mercy of the lord’. The surname ‘Quinn’ was very common in Ireland and Scotland during ancient times. It has two notable meanings. In Celtic, ‘Quinn’ means ‘wise’ and in Gaelic, ‘Quinn’ means ‘intelligent’. The character John Quinn is a made vampire who has been around for centuries and is thus portrayed as a wise man.
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Kestrel Redfern:
Because Kestrel Redfern is a lamia vampire, she is named after a natural thing. The name ‘Kestrel’ refers to the kestrel. The kestrel is a small falcon. It is a fierce bird, with amber-coloured eyes. It likes to chase its prey before killing it. Sound familiar? The character Kestrel also has amber-coloured eyes and an aggressive personality. The surname ‘Redfern’ means ‘dweller by the red fern’. I personally think that in the Night World series, the ‘Redfern’ surname was derived by putting together ‘Red’ and ‘Fern’ since Red Fern is the ancestor of this lamia family.
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Maggie Neely:
The name ‘Maggie’ means ‘pearl’ in Old English and the surname ‘Neely’ means ‘victor’ in Gaelic. The character Maggie Neely persists Sylvia Weald for the truth about her brother’s death in Black Dawn. Maggie ends up learning the truth. The pearl stone is considered a symbol of love and Maggie the character did not think twice about giving her vampire soulmate her love. In fact, Maggie is described as being ready to trust anyone.
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Mary-Lynnette Carter:
The name ‘Mary-Lynnette’ has been separated into its two components. The name ‘Mary’ has a couple of different origins and meanings. In Hebrew, ‘Mary’ means ‘bitter’ or ‘rebellious’. In ancient Egyptian, it means ‘beloved’. Meanwhile, the name ‘Lynnette’ means ‘lake’. The surname ‘Carter’ means ‘one who uses a cart’. It is more likely – in my opinion – that L. J. Smith chose these names for the character Mary-Lynnette Carter for no obvious reason.
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Maya:
The name ‘Maya’ means ‘mother’ in Greek. In Sanskrit, ‘Maya’ means ‘illusions’. The character Maya was not at all a mother figure but she did have a son, Red Fern. Maya was also the only vampire with the ability to shape-shift into other animals forms. She could shape-shift into a bat and change her appearance to look like other people. The name ‘Maya’ can also mean ‘the great one’.
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Morgead Blackthorn:
Because Morgead Blackthorn is a lamia vampire, he is named after a natural thing. The ‘Blackthorn’ surname refers to the blackthorn shrub, which produces plum-like fruits. No origin or meaning for the name ‘Morgead’ could be found but ‘Morgan’ is a similar name to ‘Morgead’. ‘Morgan’ means ‘born in the sea’.
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Mother Cybele:
The name ‘Cybele’ means ‘mother’ in Greek. The character Cybele is the Mother of the witches, hence why she is referred to as Mother Cybele.
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Poppy North:
Poppy North was not born a vampire but by coincidence, she happens to be named after a natural thing. The name ‘Poppy’ refers to the poppy tree, which has curly red flowers. Like her namesake, the character Poppy has curly red hair and a fiery personality. The surname ‘North’ means ‘from the North’ in Old English.
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Raksha Keller:
The name ‘Raksha’ means ‘to protect’ in Sanskrit. This name is obviously fitting for Raksha Keller, as she was assigned the mission to protect the third Wild Power, Iliana Dominick, in Witchlight. L. J. Smith states that ‘Raksha’ means ‘demon’ in this book. In actual fact, L. J. Smith is referring to the story of The Jungle Book, in which a mother wolf whose name is Raksha, tells the ferocious tiger of the woods that her name means ‘demon’ because she will fight to protect her cubs. The surname ‘Keller’ can mean ‘dear friend’ in Gaelic but is more commonly believed to mean ‘cellar’ in Old German.
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Rashel Jordan:
The name ‘Rashel’ is a variant of the name ‘Rachel’, which apparently means ‘ewe’ in Hebrew. A ewe is a female sheep. Also in Hebrew, the surname ‘Jordan’ means ‘to descend’. The character Rashel Jordan is a female. That is about as much correlation I can think of between the character and these names. Perhaps L. J. Smith chose these names for no particular reason.
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Rowan Redfern:
Because Rowan Redfern is a lamia vampire, she is named after a natural thing. The name ‘Rowan’ refers to the rowan tree. The rowan tree is native to America. Its petals and leaves are characteristically soft. The character Rowan is a walking symbolism of softness herself. The surname ‘Redfern’ means ‘dweller by the red fern’. I personally think that in the Night World series, the ‘Redfern’ surname was derived by putting together ‘Red’ and ‘Fern’ since Red Fern is the ancestor of this lamia family.
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Sylvia Weald:
The name ‘Sylvia’ means ‘belonging to the forest’ in Latin. The character Sylvia Weald wears a lot of green-coloured garments in Black Dawn. She also seems to have a likeness for animals and an affinity for the wilderness that surrounds the castle in Black Dawn. The surname ‘Weald’ has a similar meaning to ‘Sylvia’ as it means ‘woodland’. Notice that this Night World character is named after natural things (the forest, the woods) like lamia vampires are named after natural things. Sylvia denounced her heritage as a witch and her loyalty lay with the vampires until just before her death.
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Thea Harman:
The name ‘Thea’ means ‘healer’ in Greek. The character Thea Harman can use magic to heal living beings. She healed her soulmate when he was bitten by a rattle snake at the beginning of Spellbinder/Enchantress. Thea mentions plans of using her healing ability on injured animals when she finishes high school. The surname ‘Harman’ is a variation of the Greek name ‘Harmon’, meaning ‘soldier’. Like their ancestress Hellewise, all Harman witches are zealous fighters.
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Thierry Descouedres:
The name ‘Thierry’ is a French variation of the name ‘Theodoric’, which means ‘ruler of the people’. The character Thierry Descouedres is very much a leader in the Night World series. He is considered Lord of the Night World because he was the first made vampire. He is also the Night Person who established Circle Daybreak. No origin or meaning could be found for the surname ‘Descouedres’. If you have any information about this surname, please e-mail me.
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