CHRISTIAN NAMES

Evening Star, Issue 19848, 23 April 1928, Page 2

CHRISTIAN NAMES

FASHION, SENTIMENT* HISTORY SOME CURIOUS I!CASONS. One moots with young people who have never forgiven their parents for the names they inflicted on hem. It is a nice question whether at baptism our parents have a right to saddle children with names which in later years may be left to be a. burden and a wrong" Was it not enough_ that they laid on us the responsibilities ot life without adding to them the fretting weight of an unwelcome name? Why should there not be a. double registration—one of tbc name given by the parents, and the other the permanent Christian name chosen by the individual? What curious reasons are often given by parents for their choice of children’s names. Oliver Goldsmith tells us how the Vicar of Wakefield called his eldest son George after his uncle, who left tlie family ten thousand pounds. Tho second child was a girl, and the vicar intended to call her after her aunt Grissel, but his wife, who had been reading romances, insisted on her being called Olivia. When another daughter was born he was determined Grissel should bo her name, ‘ but a rich relation taking a fancy to stand godmother, the girl was by her direction called Sophia.” Here were two romantic names in the family, hut the vicar solemnly protested he had no hand in it, Roth of the girls boro names which came from overseas, but whereas Sophia retained and still retains the simple Greek form, Olivia is now generally shortened from its Italian four syllables to the English Olive. Tu the one case rotaance conferred the name, and money determined the other.

These motives are still ai work, and keep company with others which may or may not be more praiseworthy. Names are often given because they are “ nice ” or fashionable, or more generally out of compliment to a parent or grandparent. Miss Charlotte M, Younge, well known in other branches of literature, has dealt with the whole subject in her ‘ History of Christian Names ’ (says the Melbourne ‘Age’), and quite as scientifically as Mr Weekley handled the kindred topic of surnames. She apologises for undertaking such a work, but when she goes on to say that it had attracted her for twenty years, that she had collected her material from dictionaries, books of travel, histories, and popular tales, and that she issued a revised edition, the general reader feels that no apology was necessary. The volume leaves the impression of wide and painstaking research in tho fields of philology. Although the book was published over forty years ago it contains material for all students. aiM entertainment for everybody. Not the least valuable feature of tho hook is its glossary of over 120 names. On the point of why tho original and proper names of men and women arose she enumerates circumstances connected with birth (Jacob ami Esau), tho complexion, tho qualities desired in tho child, names of animals, weapons, jewels, religious names, flowers, and experiences of sorrow or distress. There is always a preference for names already borne by kindred. Religion is tho 'primary guide, and next to it is tho family feeling. The British race is an extraordinary conglomerate, and the language bears evidence of the different strata of which it is composed. Romans, Anglos Saxons, Danes, and Normans all brought us a sprinkling of new names “The Lowland Scots had been much influenced by the Anglo-Saxons, whose tongue prevailed throughout the Loillians; and after the fall of Macbeth and the marriage of Malcolm Canmorc English names "were much adopted in Scotland.” Charles Lamb, in his poem on ‘Christian Names of Women,’ touches upon the influence of time and nationality :

In Christian world Mary the garland

wears; Rebecca sweetens on a Hebrew s ears; Quakers for pure Priscilla are more dear; And the light Gaul by amorous Ninon swears.

Miss Youngo points out that among thirty kings who have reigned since the Conquest there have been ten Christian names, and of these but two are Saxon English, three arc Norman Frank, two French Hebrew, one French Greek, one Anglicised German Greek. _ The Norman Conquest gave us William Henry, Robert, Walter,, Gilbert. Roger, Hugh, and many more. Women’s names are not so numerous in the Norman list, but Adclheid and Mathilda are two of them. The Reformation changed the whole system of naming, for 5t tossed patron saints aside, adopted classical names, names of virtue like Faith, Hope, Charity, and between 1500 and 1600 A. i). Scripture names were chosen often by opening the Bible haphazard and taking the first name that caught the eye. The Puritan clergy objected to giving names that bad no moral significance, and one of them was cited lor refusing to christen n child Rickard. It was not uncommon to name children Thankful, Repent; and ably a contraction for Original Sin. is still known in Lincolnshire. Charles was made popular through loyalty to Charles I. After the Restoration ladies, following the French fashion, called themselves Amanda, Ophelia, Phyllis, Cliloe and suchlike. 'lho Queen Anne period loved a name to finish in “a. and so Alice became Alicia. Lettico Letitin, Cicely Cecilia. Queen Anne herself had an “a” tacked on to make her ‘‘Great Anna.” The House of Brunswick brought us such names as Frederick, Ernest, Adolphus; and for the women some ‘‘clumsy feminines” of essentially masculine names—Caroline, Charlotte, Wilhelmina, Frederica, Louisa. Of all the names in use to-day nono seems such a favourite as Margaret (pearl). It comes from the Persian term for a jewel. Dante calls the moon “la gran Mnrgherita.” jt was Margaret Etheling, wife of King Malcolm, who made hers the national Scottish female name. Many arc the forms it takes—ten in England awl seven in Scotland. The Scottish Marjorie was cut down into Maisie, and later into Mvsie.

Christian names change when t !, ey migrate. Alexander becomes Alec and Sandy; Jacob becomes James, Jim, Haraesh. As to frequency of Christian mimes, it was found in a Durham register of 1380 that 40 per coni, of the men were called John, 22 per cent. William; and, if we add Robert and Thomas, we get up to 80 per cent, of all the men’s names. After the Revolution of 1688 William leaped to first place. The usual meaning assigned to the name William is “ helmet of resolution,” while John means the “Lord’s grace.” A singular fact about the name Hannibal is that it has always been a favourite with the peasantry of Cornwall. The earliest parish registers have it, and probably the name Honeybell is derived from it. The usual explanation is that the Phoenician traders who came to Cornwall for tin and lead left the name behind them. Leonard is derived Irom leo, the lion; Philip from two Greek words, which mean “loving horses”,; and Andrew is from the Greek for a man. Names like Theodore, Theodora, Dorothy, and Don are all derived from words that mean “a divine gift.” Jn America there is much less attention given to hereditary names. The Puritan ami literary names arc often found in various combinations. Hephzibah, Noah, Ohadiah, Hiram are quite common. One remembers such names