The following are the characters in John Crowley's "Little, Big":

John Drinkwater: An architect who develops the theory that within our world exists another, smaller world—and a smaller one within that, and so on. Towards the centre is the realm of the Faerie. He published this theory in his book, The Adventure of Country Houses. He also built a house called Edgewood, which is actually a portal into the Faerie Realm.

Daily Alice Drinkwater: John's daughter, who, at her introduction, is soon to be wed.

Evan "Smoky" Barnable: Daily Alice's fiancé. Their marriage has been prophesied by Nora Cloud.

Sophie Drinkwater: Daily Alice's sister. Her child is taken by the faeries at birth and replaced by a changeling.

Tacey, Lily, and Lucy: Alice and Smoky's daughters, who do not play major roles in the story.

Auberon II: Alice and Smoky's son. He eventually leaves for the city in order to find his destiny, desiring a life away from Edgewood and the Drinkwater legacy.

Lilac: Sophie's daughter, who is at first thought to be Smoky's illegitimate child.

George Mouse: Sophie's cousin and Lilac's real father.

Nora Cloud: Sophie and Alice's great aunt, who had clairvoyant powers which she passed on to Sophie through her set of Tarot cards.

Sylvie: A Puerto Rican woman whom Auberon falls in love with. She works at George Mouse's farm and is later taken by faeries as well.

Russell Eigenblick: The President of the United States, who is tyrannical and courts civil war. He is later revealed to be the re-awakened Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa.

Ariel Hawksquill: A mage and a distant relation of the Drinkwater family. She is the one who reveals Russell Eigenblick's true identity.

Violet Bramble: The progenitor of the Drinkwaters and the first to use their clairvoyant powers.

August Drinkwater: Violet Bramble's son. He is granted power over women by the faeries in exchange for his mother's Tarot cards. He is later driven to suicide because of this power. However, he is cursed to live and is transformed into a trout. From then on, he becomes known as Grandfather Trout.

Amy Meadows: August Drinkwater's love interest.

Auberon I: An uncle of Alice and Sophie, who is known to be eccentric. He cannot see faeries, but he believes in and attempts to record evidence of them.