Your NTFC Co-President, Zoe (Clumsy_Gal_101), thought up something for our sixth discussion topic. She wants to know:

Quote:

We all know that Tonks hates her first name, Nymphadora. So, she goes by her surname only. But why did her mother, Andromeda, give her such an odd first name? Was it because it just fit good with the last name Tonks? Because she just liked it? Or did she just want her little girl to have an odd name that was unique too her?
Why do you think her mother gave her such an odd name?

Tell us what you think!

Also, if you have any discussion topic suggestions, please post here. (We need some more suggestions! )

Maybe it means something in a different language. Andromeda is a pretty weird name, so maybe she was carrying on the tradition! Isn't Andromeda a solar system close to earth or something?...

Maybe Tonks is part nymph? ...... or not... I actually think it's quite a nice name, maybe Andromeda thought the same?

Part Nymph???

Nymphadora...Arodahpmyn Okay that's not it

Tonks obviously hated the name...but mayb her mum thought it was "pretty" I figure Tonks doesn't like it because it sounds too innocent and girlie

Nymphadora means "Gift of the Nymphs" in French (and, I think, Golden Nymph as a rough translation from Spanish, but I don't know ). Anyway, Andromeda was a princess in Greek Mythology, and one story describes her as sitting in the middle of a lake on a throney-lily-pad thing, with nymphs dancing around her! B).

I think it's a sweet name, especially since you can call her "Dora" for short...awwww.....

And BlazeTroy, yurrrp! Andromeda is a constellation! Many of the Blacks are named from Astronomy - Sirius (the Dog star, Canis Major), Bellatrix (a constellation near Orion, I think), Cygnys (the swan), Regulus (near Leo, I believe....).

And I'm a total Astronomy geek !!!!

oh I see! That makes sense, JK's always basing names on stuff like that... Draco etc...

the only constellation I know is orion, because it's aone everyone knows...

I love "Dora" to, I gues her mum got tired of saying her whole name all the time...

Well, it would get rather a mouthfull after a while......

That's true!

I wonder if she knew about all that stuff or if she just knew that her name was a constellation and if she knew the muggle history of her name...

...O_o Go Maddey!

go Maddey? yeh go Maddey! for whatever...

JK probably did her research, but Ir eckon Andromeda jsut found the name in a book about herself! Shwe found a book with her name on it and read about the nymphs and thought... hmmm... Nymphadora? I like it! It's got a *ring* to it...

Go me, Go me, Go me, Go me! *dances*

I find it adorable.

Heheh. It's Nymph-adorable.

Nymphadorable... Teddy's Nymphadorable... I bet Andromeda used to say that...

It would be so sweet!

I really used to hate Nymphadora, but now it's cute. Plus she gets nicknamed Dora!!!!

I get a boring nickname for my evil first name. Madison becomes Maddz. Oh how boring. *sorry, OFF TOPIC!!!*

*ahem* my english teacher used to call me Wend, in a posh voice... *shudder* "Alright Wend?" he would say, with extra emphasis on the "Wend" ... *double shudder* I mean why couldn't he jsut add a simple y on the end? I don't mind my friends calling me Wend, but he was a posh english teacher... right yes sorry...

Dora is a great nickname, I bet her dad used it a lot, his little Dora...

I love the name Nymphadora. Actually, I love anything that sounds like it too - Isadora, Theodora, etc. I think it's a beautiful, dignified, unique name ... but I'm not surprised that Tonks hated it. I'm sure that, as she was a Metamorphamagus, she wished at times she could just be normal, you know? Though Tonks isn't necessarily the most normal name ... hm. I dunno, lol!

I do have an idea as to why JKR would name her Nymphadora though. The word "nymph" can mean:

- a beautiful or graceful young woman
- the young of an insect that undergoes incomplete metamorphosis

The second definition is the one that I see as identifying Tonks the most. As she is a Metamorphamagus and a human with magical powers, she has a bit of each in her: she isn't fully one, and she isn't fully the other, and therefore is sort of stuck in between.

That makes sense! You and Maddey are quuite the... theory people... *darn my restricted vocabluary*

The same Nymphadora matches her wacky and odd personality because it's so unique and always sounds funny when you say it hehe NYMPHadoooooorrrrrrrrrrrra << that's kinda what it sounds like when I say it

You know "Dora the Explorer", the little kids show that teaches you Spanish? Well, I used to run around singing the theme tune, but going "Nympha, Nympha, Nympha, Nymphadora!", .

It's wackeeeee!

*gaspeth* OMG! *dogpiles on Wendy* YOU ISH ON!!!!

Dora the explorer? I am luvin that...

*gasp* yesh I am ON!!!! not for long though me mam's getting annoyed with the staying up until 4 in the morning and being really grumpy

Maybe Tonks didn't like her anme because it was so similar to her mum's, when she was young it might have annoyed her I'm always embarrassed when people tell me I'm like my mum... she's 52...

, I never get told I'm like my mum! That's cause we look totally different, TG.

I just think Tonks is a cool name, maybe Dora did too?

Maybe because she was a metamorphmagus, she wanted to be normal sometimes, and Nymphadora isn't a very normal name, so she took on her second name...

ANSWER: "Nymphadora" translates as "Gift of the Nymphs." A "nymph," in Greek mythology, refers to "a member of group of female 'spirits' found in different types of nature." They are further classified by where they were found. They also had the ability to change shapes, a very clear connection to Tonks' own ability to shapeshift. In Latin, "nympha" translates to "a bride" and "Nymphae" to "the Nymphs.

I love Tonk's first name, it's unique, and it fits so well in Tonks!
Nymphadora, is not horrible, it's so beautiful, I like uncommon names you know If she was Hannah or something, that would not be as special as Nymphadora.

^^ oo good answer unicorny person, JK lvoes her latin... she uses it for spells and stuff...

^^ yup, Hannah isn't as interesting as Nymphadora, no offence to anyone called Hannah It makes her uber spekal...

Ooh! Lots of Nymphadora talk! I love it!

I really like the name Nymphadora. Some days I wish it were my name, even though kids in my school sometimes call me Nymphadora. *Pokes her clumsiness*

I think that Andromeda gave Tonks the name Nymphadora because 1) it's unique, 2) it's a really cool name and 3) the meaning of her name is very cool indeed.

Awww! *pokes Zoe-Nymphadora* !!!!

I'd love to be called Nymphadora. I wanted to call the fish Nymphadora and Remus (because of Tedds the hamster), but I got outruled. *sigh*.

I can't imagine Tonks being called Hannah.

Remus - ...and this is Hannah-
Tonks - DON'T call me Hannah, Remus! It's Tonks.


Nope, I really can't imagine it!

I need new pets. A daddy and a mommy pet that's having a baby. *s* Remus, Nymphadora and Teddy!

Hannah is a nice name and all, but Nymphadora is more unique because you rarely hear the name ever and it is suposedly 'odd'.