20 little-known facts about the 'Harry Potter' series

• JK Rowling's "Harry Potter" books-turned-movies are a cultural phenomenon. 
• Rowling found inspiration for the setting of "Harry Potter" in Edinburgh, Scotland and, as for the names of the characters, each has a special meaning. 
• Actor Haley Joel Osment could have been Harry Potter instead of Daniel Radcliffe. 

Whether you're a hardcore fan or a Muggle who's only seen the movies, there's no denying that Harry Potter is a cultural phenomenon.

Keep reading to learn 20 surprising facts about JK Rowling's magical series, from how she named her characters to how technology brought the films to life.

SEE ALSO: Details you might have missed in the 'Harry Potter' books

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JK Rowling and Harry Potter share a birthday.

The author, who turned 53 this year, and the wizard were both born on July 31.

Rowling gave her characters names that reflect their roles in the series.

Fans can all agree that Rowling's world-building is superb ― and the whimsical names she gave her characters are no exception. On Pottermore, she revealed that, early in the creative process, she came up with names for 40 Hogwarts students in Harry's year ― every member of the Golden Trio included.

For example, Harry's name references his leadership qualities, while Ron's pertains to his role as a sidekick. "Harry" is the middle-English version of "Henry," a name popular among English kings through the centuries. For "Ronald," Rowling seemingly looked to the Old Norse "Rögnvaldr," a title for a ruler's adviser. In contrast, Hermione's name, taken from Shakespeare's "The Winter's Tale" (and Greek mythology, more broadly) has less to do with her own traits than with her Muggle parents' desire to pick a clever moniker.

You never know when inspiration will strike ― and Rowling jotted down the Hogwarts house names on an airplane vomit bag.

Many people, celebs included, strongly identify with a specific Hogwarts house. You might be surprised to learn, then, that Rowling first wrote down the words Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff on the back of an airplane vomit bag. She revealed this tidbit on Twitter in 2017.