What is the real name of the villain known as 'You-Know-Who'?

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The real name of the villain known as “You-Know-Who” is Tom Marvolo Riddle. He later adopted the name Lord Voldemort, an anagram of “Tom Marvolo Riddle” created by rearranging the letters of his birth name.

Riddle was born to the witch Merope Gaunt and the Muggle Tom Riddle. He attended Hogwarts, was sorted into Slytherin, and became fascinated with dark magic, ancestry, and immortality. His belief that his Muggle heritage made him vulnerable helped fuel his obsession with pure-blood ideology.

“ You-Know-Who” and “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named” are titles used because witches and wizards fear saying Voldemort’s name aloud. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, a magical taboo placed on the name allows Voldemort’s followers to locate people who speak it. Salazar Slytherin was Voldemort’s ancestor, not his real name.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Aug. 2026

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