I think I finally figured out what Draco Malfoy's name symbolizes

[NightTrain]

Ever since I read the first Harry Potter book a couple of years ago, I've looked for hidden meaning in the names J.K. Rowling gives her characters and places. For example, "Diagon Alley" is a play on "diagonally." And "Durmstrang" (the wizarding school) is a play on the German phrase "sturm und drang," or chaos. And though I had thought about it on and off, I was never able to infer what the name "Draco Malfoy" might symbolize--until last night.

I was watching my recently acquired used VHS copy of "The Chamber of Secrets" when it suddenly hit me:

"Draco" = "Draconian"
"Malfoy" = "malfeasance"

I don't know why the hell it took me this long to figure it out. Or why I even gave a shit, I suppose. But I'm glad it finally hit me.

So, fellow Potter fans, what do you think? Did I get it right?

[Liberal Christian]

1. I think it's not unreasonable

My guess is that Rowling intends her names to suggest rather than to have clear derivations. Certainly, the name is sinister and your allegorical interpretation is as good as anything I've come up with.

[Dookus]

2. Well...

Draco is also the name of a constellations: Draco, the Dragon.

Dragons are reptilian, and combined with his House, Slytherin (slithering) it gives a sense of being a snake, and all that that implies.

"Mal" just means bad, so that also enhances it.

[trof]

3. foy

\Foy\, n. 1. Faith; allegiance; fealty. --Spenser.

Malfoy="bad faith"

[Terran]

4. meanings

draco = dragon (Latin)

mal = evil (French)

His name was way obvious to me, but never having read any of the books, I never got any of the others you mentioned, from the films. Very good!