 In both Jewish and Muslim tradition, Azrael is the name of the angel of death.In addition to that, it was a Jewish name, so it could be used as an in-joke for Delporte's Jewish wife.The name "Gargamel" is not a Jewish name but echoes Rabelais' classic "Gargantua and Pantagruel", where the giantess Gargamelle is the mother of Gargantua.