My theory is simpler than your ancestry one.

 

It is simply stupid, yes.

 

Since your German let me ask you a question. How many Germans do you know that have english first names?

 

I don't know why you're so convinced that Germans don't use non-traditional first names, but demanding anecdotal evidence isn't going to prove anything one way or the other.

A quick google takes me to this page, with the top 500 names for Germans born last year. At number one in the girls list is Mia, which you must agree is hardly a traditional German first name, but I'd consider it pretty international rather than especially English, so let's keep going.

Number two is Emma, which, while I wouldn't say it's never been used it Germany historically (more as a pet name than a proper name), is pretty stereotypically English. Jane Austen even has a protagonist named Emma - how much more English do you want?

Then at number 11 we have Emily, which is very much a traditional English first name, or rather a traditional English variant - the ly at the end is a dead giveaway.

Although most of the list is as you would expect, at number 73, would you believe it - Melissa.

Obviously some Germans hadn't heard that you had banned them from using that name, Aegon. I'm sure they'll be happy to rename their daughters once you explain their mistake to them.

 

Would you like me to change my comment German sounding? Regardless it doesn't really match the grandiose naming trend most purebloods in Harry Potter seems to lean towards.

 

Goalposts! Goalposts! Move them harder!

 

The first name isn't Deutsch so my original point still stands. I concede that its reasonable for her to have the name with the popularity of english names in Germany. I personally found it odd that a German pureblood had an english first name.

 

Yes, no witch named Melissa would dare to show her face in such unbearably grandiose company as that of purebloods named James, Molly, Neville, Amelia, Peter and Pansy.

Alright, yes, some purebloods have made-up names, but actually a lot of the ones that seem unusual are just out-of-fashion English or European names, e.g. Cuthbert (Anglo-Saxon), Lucius (Latin), Mafalda (Italian), Cadmus (Greek), Salazar (Spanish, a surname admittedly, but that of course fits in with another out-of-fashion English naming tradition - giving a son his mother's maiden name as his first name, e.g. Fitzwilliam Darcy).

In that sense if we are calling Melissa a slightly unusual name for a German that comes from a foreign culture, it is actually perfect for Harry Potter.

You're quite welcome to move the goalposts again if you like, I don't mind.

 

You do understand I'm speaking of the Deutsch language, right?

 

Actually, as you are speaking in English you are speaking of the German language. Or rather you're not, since it has had very little bearing on anything you've said up to now.

You said that Melissa is (to you) a non-German-sounding first name that doesn't fit the German-sounding surname 'Von Helmen', because it is not of German origin and not traditionally popular in Germany, and thus the combination wouldn't work in a Harry Potter fanfic.

In my last post, I gave examples of English Harry Potter characters who have first names which are not of English origin and are not traditionally popular in England.

What about the point I made is difficult for you to grasp?

 

I already conceded that it isn't unreasonable for her to have the name earlier and that I simply found it odd. You're continueing this argument over my opinion?

 

I've only responded to your posts in turn. If your new tactic is to try and make me out to be unreasonably argumentative then that's your prerogative I suppose.

 

You continued this over something I outright said was a personal opinion.