Which Shakespeare play inspired J.K. Rowling’s name for the character Hermione?

J.K. Rowling’s name for Hermione was inspired by Shakespeare’s play The Winter’s Tale.

Hermione Granger is one of the three central characters in the Harry Potter novels, alongside Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. Rowling chose the name partly because she wanted it to sound distinctive and to show that Hermione’s parents were highly educated; the character is a Muggle-born witch whose parents are dentists.

The Harry Potter character is not the same person as Shakespeare’s Hermione, who is Queen of Sicily in The Winter’s Tale. Rowling has also clarified that the pronunciation she intended for the name differs from some common guesses. The Shakespeare connection is therefore about the source of the name, not a direct retelling of the older play.