FREAK CHRISTIAN NAMES GIVEN WITHOUT THOUGHT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17878, 21 June 1926, Page 14

FREAK CHRISTIAN NAMES GIVEN WITHOUT THOUGHT.

MANY MODERN CHILDREN WILL NOT BE PLEASED. Of the fifty or sixty Christian names in common use in this country, more than a half are reputed to have some religious meaning; yet nowadays, although baptism is a religious ceremony, names are bestowed without any regard for their meanings Not long ago a Leeds publican with the three Christian names, Baron Roth Child, bequeathed legacies to a brother who had been christened General Roberts. and a sisted named Princess Beatrice. Sanger, of circus fame, who was christened Lord George, found his name very useful in business, but whether the numerous children who ten years ago were given such Christian names as Kitchener, Jellicoe and Anzac will be grateful to their parents is doubtful. A William Smith, who was known as the “ sausage king of Smithfield,” settled the problem of finding names for his three sons by calling them William No. 1, William No. 2 andn William No. 3 respectively. There is a well-known story of a boy who, on stating that his name was Shadrach Nebuchadnezzer Zoots, was asked who gave him such names. His vehement reply that he did not know, but that if he ever found out somebody would be sorry for it, must have been echoed by many unfortunate bearers of freak names. Some years ago a correspondent of the “ Daily Chronicle ” vouched the authenticity of the following Christian names: “Shadrach Swaddling Pontius Pilate,” “ Mahershalalhasbaz,” “ Nimrod,” “ Hyena,” and “ Charles Caractus Ostorius Maximilian Gustavus Adolphus.” A rag and bone merchant of Norwich, whose name by a coincidence was ** Bone,” became the proud father of a daughter, and in his exuberance he gave to her the name “Shelomith Bathsheba Adora.” There are children who suffer because their parents at baptism perpetuated upon the defenceless babies the names of respected aunts, Tabitha, Matilda, Georgiana or Jemima, or of revered uncles, Obadiah, Zachary or Algernon. The strangest set of Christian names was surely that reputed to be possessed by the daughter of a laundryman named Pepper! She was said to have been christened alphabetically: “Ann Bertha Cecilia Diana Emily Fanny Gertrude Hypatia Inex June Kate Louisa. Maud Norah Ophelia Patricia Quince Rebecca Starkey Teresa Ulys-

ses Venus Winifred Xexophon Yeni Zeus!”