The Star. MONDAY, AUGUST 28, 1876.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 2629, 28 August 1876, Page 2

The Star. MONDAY, AUGUST 28, 1876.

The proper principles to adopt in naming their children form a subject upon which New Zealand parents cannot bestow attention too early, if they are at all solicitous for the future political influence of their sons, to say nothing of the chances of their daughters. The number of men whose chances of a career have in the course of English history been utterly wrecked by the simple fact that they were known amongst their friends as "Dick" or "Tom," is terrible to contemplate. New Zealand is still at the commence* ment of her life, and now, if ever, is the time for all right-thinking parents to exercise care and ingenuity in bringing about a radical reform. On this subject the New York Herald has the following : — "It is most important that parents who expect to have their sons in the White House some day — and where is the proud parent who does not have this dream P — should see that they have noble, resonant names whioh may catch the imagination of the people." With this we do not altogether agree, for the simple reason that it is neither resonance nor nobility that commends a name to the approval of the average intellect. Some name full of historical association, or, better still, mysterious and hard to pronounce, is the one which should be selected. Thus Julius has a great advantage over Q-eorge, but if Sir George G-rey's sponsors had named him "TJpokororo," or " Holofernes," the present Premier would have been unable to withstand his influence, the Provinces would hardly have been abolished, and New Zealand's whole future would have been different. As a hint to parents, we may suggest that they should rake up the lore of the Aztecs, who paid particular attention to names, surpassing oven the Babylonians in this respect. " Nebuchadnezzar "is a good name, but " JSfezahualcoyotl " is a better.

At present it is hardly possible to discuss this great and important matter in its bearings upon the future of women, as parents have such very different ambitions in this respect. Some desire that their daughters should win admiration by the excellence of their womanhood, others that they should command it by their superiority as artivm magistral, viviaectors, or female jockeys. Each section will, therefore, naturally favour a different class of name, but each should remember that, whatever the ambition is, the name given will go a long way towards its attainment or frustration.