Aimé: Head waiter at Balbec and also at a fashionable restaurant in Paris
Albertine Simonet: Marcel’s mistress and niece of Mme Bontemps
Andrée: Friend of Albertine and oldest of the little band of girls at Balbec
Basin: See Duc de Guermantes
Bergotte: Famous writer and friend of the Swanns.
Berma: Famous actress
Bloch, Albert: Marcel’s oldest friend from school
Mme Bontemps: Albertine’s aunt, friend of Odette and Mme Verdurin.
Brichot: Member of the Verdurin’s ‘little clan’
Cambremer, Marquis de: Brother-in-law of Legrandin; Norman country squire with big nose.
Cambremer, Renée, Marquise de: Legrandin’s rude, arrogant and ill bred sister.
Charlus, Palamède, Baron de: Charlus is the Duc de Guermantes' younger brother and Saint-Loup’s uncle. Other titles include Prince des Laumes, Duc de Brabant, Squire of Montargis, Prince of Oleron, of Carency, Viareggio and of the Dunes.
Châtellerault, Duc de: Enjoys a gay encounter in the Champs Elysées
Cottard, Dr: Long time member of the Verdurin’s ‘little clan’
Crécy, Comte de: First husband of Odette de Crécy.
Elstir: Famous painter and originally a member of Verdurin’s ‘little clan’
Françoise: Originally Aunt Léonie’s and eventually Marcel’s family cook
Forcheville, Baron de: Vulgarly arrogant lover and, eventually, third husband of Odette de Crécy
Guermantes, Gilbert, Prince de: Cousin of the Duc de Guermantes.
Guermantes, Marie, Princesse de: Born the Duchess of Bavaria, married to Gilbert
Guermantes, Basin, Duc de: Cousin of the Prince de Guermantes and brother of Charlus; previously Prince des Laumes before inheriting the dukedom.
Guermantes, Oriane, Duchesse de: Originally Mlle de Guermantes and then Princesse des Laumes. Married to her cousin Basin, the Duc de Guermantes; niece of Mme de Villeparisis, aunt of Robert de Saint-Loup. Close friend of Charles Swann.
Jupien: Tailor, factotum and eventually male-brothel keeper.
Jupien’s Niece, Marie Antoinette: Becomes Charlus’ heir as Mlle d’Oloron. Fiancé to Charlie Morel, married to Léonor de Cambremer.
Laumes, Prince and Princesse des: See Duc and Duchesse de Guermantes
Léa: Actress and notorious lesbian.
Legrandin: Combray neighbor. Engineer, man of letters, snob and sexual invert.
Marcel’s Mother: “Mamma”
Marcel’s Father: Permanent Secretary at the Ministry.
Marcel’s Grandmother, Bathilde: the only morally flawless person in the whole novel
Marcel’s Grandfather: Friend of Swann’s father
Marcel’s Aunt Léonie: Pious hypochondriac, owner of the family home in Combray
Marcel’s Uncle Adolphe: Has disreputable past. Never appears directly in the book
Marsantes, Marie-Aynard, Comtesse de: Widow of Aynard, the Comte de Marsantes. Mother of Robert Saint-Loup and sister to Charlus and Basin.
Morel, Charlie: Violinist, writer, bi-sexual rent-boy for Charlus and many others
Nassau, Paulette, Princesse de: Well born but of dubious sexual morality.
Norpois, Marquis de: Ex-Ambassador, friend of Marcel’s father, lover of Mme de Villeparisis and pompous stuffed-shirt.
Octave: Friend of Albertine and the band of girls in Balbec - a 'washout'.
Odette: See Mme Swann.
Oriane: See Duchesse de Guermantes.
Parma, Princesse de: Symbol of social excellence and epitome of noblesse oblige.
Palamède: See Charlus.
Putbus, Mme (Maid of.) Symbol of easy virtue, carnal delights and lesbian threats
Rachel: Whore, avant-garde actress, mistress of Saint-Loup
Saint-Euverte, Marquise de: Society hostess.
Saint-Loup-en-Bray, Robert, Marquis de: Son of the Comte and Comtesse de Marsantes, nephew of Charlus and the Duchesse de Guermantes and great nephew of Mme de Villeparisis. Husband of Gilberte Swann and close friend of Marcel.
Sazerat: Mme: A neighbor in reduced circumstances living in Combray.
Stermaria, Mlle: Cold and aloof symbol of repressed aristocratic lust from Brittany.
Swann, Charles: Connoisseur and well-connected art-collector. Father of Gilberte, husband of Odette, old friend of Marcel’s family.
Swann, Mme, Odette de Crécy: Wife of Swann, mother of Gilberte. Mistress of many, including de Forcheville.
Swann, Gilberte: later Mlle de Forcheville and finally Marquise de Saint-Loup.
Verdurin, Mme: Wealthy bohemian hostess and patron of the arts. Mistress of the ‘little clan’
Verdurin, Gustave (Auguste): Wealthy husband of Mme Verdurin
Vaugoubert, Marquise de: Diplomat and indiscreet closet queen.
Villeparisis, Madeleine, Marquise de: Daughter of Cyrus, Comte de Bouillon, aunt to the Duc as well as the Duchesse de Guermantes, great aunt of Robert de Saint-Loup and mistress of M. de Norpois. Previously Duchesse d’Havre by first marriage.
Vinteuil: Retired piano teacher and posthumously famous composer
Vinteuil, Mlle: Lesbian daughter of the retired piano teacher in Combray.