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Show iff v pnsm jmsf ' l i T By ELMO SCOTT WATSON L L IT T" HAT'S In a name?' W L once as-ked Will f I Shakespeare, and f Y then In reply to his own question declared that a rose onder any other title would have the same fragrance, thus giving us the axiom that names after all are matters of comparatively little Importance. But Shakespeare's dictum Is not necessarily true when applied to the naming of children. Kames are an Important part of personality, per-sonality, and siiice they must be kept for a lifetime they ehould be satisfactory satisfac-tory to those who own them and have to answer to them through all the years of their existence. Several thousand years ago Socrates said: "The giving of names Is no small matter, nor should It be left to chance or to persons of mean abilities-." Of course, no fond parent of a new baby no doubt the most wonderful won-derful baby that ever was born would admit that he or she Is a "person of mean ability" when It comes to selecting select-ing a name for their offspring. But the offspring themselves might have different views oh the matter, and many of them doubtless wish that they had some say In selecting the "linndle" by which they are known by their fellow men. Prof. George R. Stewart, Jr. of the University of California, Cali-fornia, who ha completed a survey of thousands of Christian names to determine de-termine the popularity trend from 1S70 to the present time and coupled It with a study of names, declares that three out of every four men bear a secret grudge against their parents for the name that was fastened on them when they were young and defenseless. defense-less. "There are few men who don't wish they had a different first name," says I'rofessor Stewart, In reporting on the results of his survey In an article In the magazine. Children. "This Is due principally, I believe, to the fact that they are tired of their Christian title Just as a person may become tired of always seeing the same face when he looks In the mirror. But It rests more substantially, in case.", because be-cause parents have placed on them either loo 'blghfalutln' or too commonplace common-place names, as the Individual tastes or self-rating may vary. A father who has bemoaned having to bear 'Perelval Algernon' all Ms life Is quite likely to term his offspring 'John' or 'James, while one who has found George Irksome Irk-some as Inadequate to bis dignity or standing resolves his son will have no such cause of lamentation. Thus the next generation of the family may sign it 'Reginald Willoughhy Smith' and be equally dissatisfied. " "What's In a name?" a great deal, at least so far as numbers are concerned con-cerned In the case of certain names. Take Mary, for Instance. If you could stand on a mountain top and In a voice that could be heard from Maine to California, should call "Mary!" an army of 2,000,000 women and girls would answer. And If you shouted "William" from that same eminence, approximately 2,000,000 masculine voices would answer. Despite the preponderance of Marys, however, that name Is gradually grad-ually losing Its popularity, accordingly according-ly to Professor Stewart. In 1'JOj Mary led the list of girls' names, one In fourteen. Today she Is gradually giving way to Elizabeth, who now ranks first Next to Elizabeth and Mary In order, are Helen, Dorothy, Marie, Katherine, Louise, Ruth, Eleanor Elean-or and Evelyn. In 1115 Anna, Grace, Emily, Alice, Caroline, May, Emma and Mable were very popular names, but they seem to be losing out now. Usually there Is forae direct reuson for fashions In names as witness the case of Edna. Up until 1370 Edna was a comparatively rare name. Then came the publication of the book "St. Elmo" with Its saintly heroine, Edna Earl. Immediately there was a boom In Ednas which has continued to this day. How do you account for the recent re-cent popularity of Jeans and Joan?? Easy! The millions of men who served over there from 11)17 to llil'J brought back with them the memories of France, which has resulted in a veritable ver-itable deluge of these two names. As for men's names there does not seem to have been as great changes in popularity as In women's names. Forty years ago William and John were the commonest names, and today they still lead the list. The only three common names that have shown much decrease are Henry, Frederick and Thomas, and they have been replaced to a large extent by Harold, Arthur and Francis. However, masculine names occasionally reflect current fashions Just as do their sisters. If you are Introduced to a man named "Dewey Jones," you can guess his age at thirty years and you won't be more than a year or so off. For it was Just thirty years ago that the hero of Manila hay was the popular Idol In the United States, and hundreds hun-dreds of parents found no dllllcully, whatever, In selecting a name for their boy babies. And those who weren't failed "Dewey" were called by the more Imposing name of Theodore becaut-e every fond mother hoped that her little lit-tle Teddy would some day be as great a man as the hero of San Juan hill. Twenty years from now the poll books of the nation will be enriched with an astonishing number of new voter whose last name will be anything from Smith to Jablonskl, but whose first two names will undoubtedly be Charles Lindbergh. And bis playmates play-mates won't call li I hi Charlie, If he has anything to say about It. Of course, there Is a danger In following fol-lowing the fashion of the hour In hanging some popu!ar-at-that -time title on the child. At the beginning of the Twentieth century, when the nouveau rlche set out to get social distinction along with their money they decided that their sons would have "ritzy" names. So a lot of Percys, Algernons, Reginalds, and some Clarences became candidates for the Social Register, and today these boys are trying to live down the Idea of their fellow men that they were once clad In little Lord Fauntleroy suits with white ruffled ruf-fled collars and wore their hnlr In curls. In addition to his Investigations as to the relative numbers and reason for personal titles. Professor Stewart In his survey also otTers some suggestions sugges-tions to parents when they are confronted con-fronted with the age-old problem of naming the baby. In brief here are txmie of them : Beware of current fads In names. Your child will grow up as one of a crowd, Instead of with a distinctive name of Its own and may live to regret re-gret It. Take thought as to Initials. Consider Consid-er the case of the poor girl named Alberta Al-berta Susan Spear I Dou'pmix your nationalities. Despite De-spite the popularity of "Abie's Irish Rose." Kathleen Giiggenbeliner Is not a good combination. Neither Is Gretch-en Gretch-en Flaherty nor Renee Stokes. If the last name Is "strong," tone It down with a softer flr--t name. Tho Qulgley and Illggins families should chose Barbara or Jeanette rather than Eliza or Violet. The more neutral your last name Is the wider choice you have for the first name. That's one of the advantages of being a Smith. And last and most Important of all, unless you want to win the undying resentment of your scions, don't play Jokes upon them, especially If your last name happens lo be somewhat "tricky." Consider the case of the governor of Texas who named his two daughters Itna and Ura. For his name was Hogg I Remember, also, the girls who went through life (unless (un-less they married) bearing the titles of June Day, Mary Christmas, Helen P.urne, Helen Boyle, and Marlettn Fish. |