CHRISTENING THE BABY.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 163, 15 August 1914, Page 6

CHRISTENING THE BABY.

WHAT ARE THE POPULAR NAMES ? AT a baby party lately the names of the three tiny girls present were Halcyone, Loveday, and Movvyth. No doubt it is tlic influence of an intensely individualistic age which accounts for the determination ©f parents to give their daughters names likely to reKiain exclusively their own among their contemporaries because nobody else will ever think of them. Fiction, history, mythology, and every language are ransacked to provide English girls with unusual names, also the mineral and vegetable kingdoms. In jewel nam cm, instead of the familiar Ruby and Pearl, we meet with Garnet, Diamond, and Chrysoprase. Among iiower names Rose and Daisy seem tio have been discarded for Myrtle, Valerian, and Vervain. Mr John Galsworthy was responsible for the sweet-sounding "Thyme" as also for ' June,'' now the companion as a Christian name to May (preferably spelt Mai) and April or Avril.Evcn when the names are ordinary, the spelling is often unusual, as in Olave, Alys, Gwladys, and Beatrix, while one even hears of Gunhilda and Etheldreda, names jraggostive of runic mystery. A few years ago, when the merely pretty was popular, such names as Phyllis and Enid were freely chosen, Imt this lias departed in the rage for originality. p(ji":!ro, Oroeba, and Berenice are three names recently adopted. People who have lived long abroad often bestow oi! llieir houses and their children fantastic names which no one else knows how to pronounce. A pleasing fashion of the moment is that short pet names are unpopular. Connie, FJorrie, and Winnie, are not encouraged in the nursery, if "Baby" is retained as long as possible. And certainly who would not prefer Katherine, Eleanor, or Frances to Kitty, >?c!tie, or Fannvf