Clara Copperfield: the fragile, delicate, pretty, and young wife of the deceased David Copperfield and mother of the boy who takes his father’s name
Miss Betsey Trotwood Copperfield: a.k.a. Miss Betsey, David Copperfield’s eccentric great-aunt who had married and divorced an abusive husband
Clara Peggotty: the Copperfields’ spiritually loyal and physically stout housemaid
Ham Peggotty: Peggotty’s orphan nephew
Mr. Chillip: the meek, mild doctor who attends to Mrs. Copperfield while she gives birth to David
Edward Murdstone: a black haired and black whiskered man who courts Mrs. Copperfied to David’s and Peggotty’s disapproval
Dan Peggotty: Peggotty’s fisherman brother who lives in a boathouse in Yarmouth and who has a heart of gold
Mrs. Gummidge: the poor widow of Mr. Peggotty’s fisherman friend who lives in Mr. Peggotty’s boathouse in Yarmouth
Emily: an orphaned niece of the Peggottys’ who is looked after by Mr. Peggotty
Jane Murdstone: Edward Murdstone’s sister who comes to live with the Copperfields for the sake of helping her brother teach their new relatives discipline and firmness
Mr. Barkis: the slow carriage driver from Blunderstone to Yarmouth who proposes to Peggotty
Mr. Mell: the impoverished, flute playing Master of Salem House
Tungay: the wooden legged, sour, and malicious superintendent of Salem House
Mr. Creakle: the man who runs Salem House
Tommy Traddles: the first boy to arrive at Salem House from summer vacation who eventually becomes David's dear friend
Mr. Sharp: the wig wearing first master of Salem House
J. Steerforth: the handsome and the most highly respected Salem House student who becomes David's good friend
Mr. Omer: the man of business who sees to David Copperfield’s mother’s funeral
Minnie: a daughter of Mr. Omer who sees to the tailoring in her father’s business
Joram: the carpenter who is love with Minnie and who builds David’s mother’s casket
Mr. Micawber: father of four who becomes David’s good friend and who is constantly in arrears
Mrs. Micawber: the devoted wife of Mr. Micawber
Janet: Miss Betsey Trotwood’s pretty housemaid
Mr. Dick: a pleasant albeit eccentric roomer and companion of David's aunt
Uriah Heep: the thin, creepy, red-haired assistant of Mr. Wickfied.
Mr. Wickfield: lawyer and steward of an estate of a rich gentleman
Agnes Wickfied: Mr. Wickfield’s placid daughter and housekeeper who loves David and eventually marries him
Doctor Strong: the kindly school master who is in charge of David’s new school in Canterbury
Annie Strong: Doctor Strong’s hauntingly pretty, youthful wife whom David initially mistakes for his daughter
Jack Maldon: the careless, impulsive, good looking cousin of Annie who departs for India
Mrs. Markleham: a.k.a. Old Soldier Annie’s mother who has a habit of disconcerting her daughter with frequent references to her unconventional marriage
Mrs. Heep: Uriah’s mother whose affectation of humbleness resembles her son’s and whose appearance, aside from her shorter stature, also resembles her son’s
Mrs. Steerforth: Steerforth’s proud and devoted mother
Miss Rosa Dartle: the thin, large-eyed, and scarred orphaned relative of the Steerforths’ who lives with Mrs. Steerforth and who has a habit of insinuating
Littimer: the Steerforths’ ever reliable and respectable house servant
Mrs. Mowcher: a roly-poly dumpling of a woman who makes her living as a barber and a manicurist
Martha Endell: a poor, disgraced woman who was formerly employed at Omer and Joram’s milliner shop
Mr. Spenlow: an extravagantly dressed mild mannered man working in the law
Mrs. Crupp: David’s stout, matronly landlady who lets out a room with a view of the river
Mr. Waterbrook: a middle-aged gentleman whose climb to the top of his profession would be impressive but for his resemblance to a pug-dog
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Spiker: honored guests at the Waterbrooks’ dinner party on account of Mr. Henry Spiker being a solicitor to “something or to somebody” who is remotely connected to the Treasury
Dora Spenlow: the pretty, curly haired daughter of Mr. Spenlow with whom David falls in love at first sight
Miss Julie Mills: Dora’s best friend who encourages David to woo Dora and who brings about David and Dora’s reconciliation after the couple’s first fight
Mr. Jorkins: Mr. Spenlow’s nebulous partner at the Doctors’ Commons who has the reputation for being the most fiercely uncompromising in looks and in matters of business but who is actually very mild in looks and bearing
Miss Lavinia Spenlow: the younger and livelier of Dora’s aunts who has been the object of adoration from a gentleman by the name of Pidger
Miss Clarissa Spenlow: the older of Dora’s aunts
Sophy Crewler: Traddles’ fiancée and eventual wife