Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1850-10-11
FEMALE NAMES.

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we hardly need say, a famous names in both
sacred and profane history. In all ages,
from the time of Mary the mother of Jesus to
that of Mary the mother of Washington, the
name has literally been exalted. It has been
linked with titles and power-With crowns
and c~oronets, and adorned by goodness and
beauty. Mary has ever been a favorite name
with the poets. Byron as he assures us, felt
an absolute passion for it. 1t is inwoven
with some Of his sweetest verses. The peas
ant-poet, Burns, seems to have been as much
attached to it as the author of Childe Har-
old. 1t is still the theme of bards and bard
ings unnumbered. We might fill a column
or two here with songs, sOnnets and ballads
in the melody of whose verse the most mu-
steal syllables are those which form the
charming name of Mary. But where much
presents itself we can quote nothing. We
need quote nothing, for,
The very music of the name has gone
Into our being"
Let the motto, or the toast if you viii, be
the single line Of Bryan Waller Proctor,
@Here's a health to thee, NARY"
SARAH is almost as common a name AZ
Mary, but it lacks the prestige which histor-
zeal and poetical associations throw around
tho latter. 1t is also from the Hebrew. and
signifies a princess. In poetry it takes the
form Of Sally or SaLie, and is found IN
many a love song and ballad. Sally Is
son ues contracted to Sal, which Is nei-
ther stical nor euphonious.
Laughing, prattIing, sportive SALLrE,
NV tell me what shall be
The tint Of sky, sunlit or starry,
To which I'll lken theel
The softest shades of heavens own blue
Those lustrOus eyes seem melting through,
SUSAN, another name Of Hebrew origin.
signifies a lily. In poetry it is usually seen
IN its contracted form of Sue. It i : prat-
ty name, and is immOrtalized IN GAYS we'll
known ballad. The signifcatiOn ofthe name
is very happily introduced in the closing
line -
"Adieu, she cried, and waved her Eay hand"
MABEL is probably derived from ma bella.
signifies my fair; though some suppose
that it is contracted from GHG5iss-Loreh or
GnsiGbe. Itis algood name in either cas-.
Hewitt has a ballad commencing,
Arise, my maiden MABEL"
which is the only poem We now reeollect in
which the name occurs.
URSULA, a name associated in our mind
with LONELINESS of face and goodness Of
heart concealed under the veil Of a nun. is
from the Latin, and signifies nothing more
amiable than a female 6earf Who know
ing this, will give the name to a child?
BLANCHE, one of the sweetest names ever
borne by woman, is from the French, and
signifies Unite or fair. Mary Hewitt makes
the orange flower its floral type =:
"Ah, Cousin BLANCHE, let's see
What's the flower resembling theel
With those dove ike eyes Of thine,
And thy fair hairs silken twine.
With thy low, broad forehead, white
AS marble, and purely bright;
With thy Ups so calm and sweet,
And thy dainty hands and feet;
What's the flower most like to thse?
blossom of the orange tree !"
Lucy, in its French from Lucie, signifies
t~cad, and from the Latin.
"LUcY is a golden girl"
says Bryan Proctor, and many will echo Tho
line. Lucy is a fayorite name with almost
every one. Wordsworth has made il one Of
the
"Names welded unto song"
And lovely indeed is the maiden bearing
that sweet name, whom nature proposes 10
mould at will to her own tastes =
will be sportiye as the fawn
That wild with glee across the lawn
Or up the mountain springs;
And hers shall be the breathing balm.
And hers the silence and the calm
Of mute insensate things"
BEATRICE is another name derived from
the Latin. 1t signifies one pho 6esse. ~
maSes hGDpy. No name can be more ap-
propriate for a lovely, affectionate and anna
bic woman. Beatrice has been honored a
bow all others by the poets. Dante, Shaks-
pear and Shelley have In turn thrown around
II the charm of their numbers, and linked Il
With thoughts both lovely and tragic.
10 son BEATRICE che ii faccio andare."
CAROLINE is the feminine form of Charles.
or rather of its Latin equivalent CARoIus.
1t m from the German, and has the sig.
nifcation of brGve-souLed or valiant. The
name has been borne by women who have
proved themselves worthy of the name. Il
is not in the manly breast alone that yalor l.
found or needed. There are those who. hav.
ing learned
-%h how sublime a thing tits
To suffer and be strong,S
have displayed a courage which shames that
of the warrior on the battlefield. Carol;n.
is sometimes abbreviated to Carrie. CALI
and Cal.
" know a fair young girl,
Or a sneet snrinnlao~.s ~ . olue,