Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-05-01
InfantIno Nomenclature.

Infantine Nomenclature.
What shall we name the baby This Is
the important question that interferes with
papa's study This newspaper. Long before
the baby's birth, the baby's mother, whose
privilege is now. days to name the baby,
ponders over that point Of future career.
And very wisely-for before a body can have
a career it must be distinguished from other
bodies by name. Mamma, however, has
not always enjoyed the right OF naming the
baby. This office with other rights is the
gift Of time TO her-it has grown into favor
with Iapa's rigth to read the newspaper.
Among the Orientals the Hindoos pre-
scribed that the father alone should solemuly
name child, and then only male children.
A Greek in old times had but one name,
generally the name Of his grandfather; he
received this at the hands of his father.
Roman children were named in like man.
ner. With the Roman people, however,
there arose fashion for several names, one
that grew out of family pride, civic honors
and the privilege of Roman citizenship.
Family names seem to have originated with
the Romans, indicating among other things,
woman's social influence in the mingling of
the maternal family name with that of the
paternal branch.
But study Of surpames historically is Of
little import to the question. What shall we
meme the baby? Let us see how this ques-
tion is generally answered. In Poland, after
the introduction of Christianity, all the men
were baptized Peter or Paul. aud all the
women Margaret or Catharine. The Italians
seem TO take few church names, although
the country is Tor was, we suppose we ought
to say), the seat of Church Government.
Roman history end Hydrologic sources are
more frequently resorted TO by the Italians.
I
than Ambrose, Augustin or any other
sanity name on the calendar. The poets
furnish them the most names, such as Tan
cred, Godfrey, Clerinde Beatrice and Laura.
England, whirling round in a hereditary
circle, prefers names because they are old
and their own. France the country of ideas,
selects its names in the world of sentiment.
In America the baptismal name is, if our
observation be extensive enough, an arbit-
rary one and the gift of the mother entirely.
Pspa is tCo busy to attend to such matters.
The next thought is what influences the
mother in the beBtowal of baptismal name.
| Who can tell2 Should there have been a
| maternal ancestor on board the MdyJ9o1OeT
or at the battle of Bunker Hill, or one who
meant to have been there the matter is soon
| disposed of. If these terminating points of
national pride are not in her endowment, she
resorts to ber husbands ancestral tree. This
|
uncle or brother yet living on either side.
She may. perhaps, be pious, a Catholic, a
| Protestant, or, as is apt to be the case here,
decidedly metaphy sical-she then selects for
! name that of her child's birthday, one of
| the Hebrew characters, or from list of the
abstract virtues, ss the case may be-. If her
tastes have been literary (which are apt to
recede at the approach of children she may,
perhaps, preserve a souvenir of q favorite
character in romance-especally if her
| husband fall below the sentimental standard I;
| or finally she may be prompted by the affec-
| tions, and in spite of religious, ancestral,
historic or romantic proclivities, think that
name the most beautiful which is borne by
her child's father and her own husband.
Whatever influences prevail with the
mother as respect the naming of the baby,
there is one that has not sufficient weight
with her-the artistic principle Of sound.
We do not mean to say that another should
name her child Appolles, Michael Angelo,
or Raffaelle, or after the painter of the last
''sublime portrayal of Gods Heavens" but
that with prescience Of her sons cultivated
tastes she should study the music of his
name as vocal utterance. Children, when
they grow up, are not inclined to endure
maternal tastes founded on conceits. Many
man who owes his baptismal appendage to
biblic, patriotic or romantic notions, wishes
his name was left to his own selection
Think of the discontented Sauls, Moses,
Lewis, Aarons and JeIemiahs Of the nom
fighting Alexanders, Wellingtons, and jack
sons, Of the prosaic Thaddeuses, Rolandos,
Fitzclarences aud Franciscos. -
What contrast between the real and the
ideal a mans name may suggest Sound is
we assert it dogmatically- law oI
naming the baby. All sorts of surnames
may be rendered euphonic by a proper
study of the gamut of sounds. The name
Smith, to a musical ear. may form the root
OF harmonic chord. John Smith is like the
vibration of two slack piano strings John
Hosford Smith comes out in tuneful har-
mony. Monosyllabic surnames always re-
quire polysy Liable baptismal names. How
much more pleasing lingo Jones sounds thar
John Jones, Luke Jones, or Giles Jones
Sometimes monosyllabc given names art
effective, such as Max or Paul, but rarely
A polysyllabic name may be too long, a
Maximilian prefxed TO Smith; it woulC
sound much better if given to Robinson.
Whatever principles may dictate the gift
of a name, there is another law we woulC
enforce under severe penalties Every
child entering this world Of democratic con
fusion should bear middle name. Dea
reader, if you be a mother and have no
given your child two names, correct tn
mistake at oncei Dear reader, if you be
minor and have faith in our experience, as
sumo one Immediately without asking per
mission of any, body. If you DON'T frient
minor, when you get TO be a majOr-unles
you figure in the army-you will find you
/. double without inquiring for him. fol
may perhaps encounter Judgment agains
: YOU in courts, and certainly gossipping judg
ments in society, which are not the result {
: fair trial Of your personality.
1t is not worth while to mention th
letters opened by your nominal counterpart
and returned Endorsed as not for recipien
! number one. How could he discover tbs
: without reading them2 And then the lei
teTs transmitting money which you neve
get and never hear Of until twice-dunne
: debtor Elbows you up" for disturbing hil
: the second time. Think Of somebody rept
g tiously getting possession of your heart
Q secrets Imagine Yourself walking BroaC
Q way, M ioF and fancying somes bearded ma
5 as be passes you, grse,ing You with eonf
: dental smile, the import of which STRIKE
9 terror to your soulP' Take dozen name
I major, in spite Of your parents or guardian
q gDd sign them ali TO every love letter yo
E write, rather than encounter such m0r
: d9tiehe as thatl --1i,ra.rHr 4 sadf vsa
|, And now having philosophical on 4
Il name, Of the baby, lord of creation wA
3 shall we say Of the lady lord Not mnc
: Ladies are generally so an xious 10 get rid
o one name, DE only name that trOnblesthe
n Is the family name. For the baptismal nal
we can furnish no better hint than one 8
q down In Hindoo law, and which no mode
= law can improve, whatever it may do I
+ the Hindoo code in other respects. II
> Substantially this; "Let the name Of I
= woman be one that can be spoken. easily
mid, sweet, behtting and agreeable let
II terminate with long vowelg and fall on I
q ear like, the utteranos OF a benedlctlons"
n The CfdyoR. ~ lsea 1s3'9gI 1oEaj 3
CoETRIBuTIoN OF BULLETS AT CoLUMB
~ The Superintendent and employees in 4
o Lunatie Asylum in Columbus have, Wit