J. W. Goethe’s Elective Affinities (1809) is considered to be one of the most complex novels of the German classical literature in terms of interpretation. A wide range of symbols in the author’s text repeatedly attracted the most attention among researchers. The main goals of this paper are to classify and to analyze existing interpretations of the name symbolism in the novel. The scientific novelty of this research is based on the fact that semantics and structural combinability of the protagonists’ names in Goethe’s text have been thoroughly examined. Сharacters of the novel are constantly engaged in interpreting omens and signs, attributing symbolic meaning and significance to the objects, events, phrases or gestures. This “experimental semiotic name game” starts from the very first sentence of the novel. In the course of the conducted research the main thrust was to reveal the symbolic significance of the name - palindrome Otto that appears to be a “hidden” symbol of protagonists’ single identity and links all four main characters together ·