Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-06-02
BY MARGUERITE CLEVELAND.
"What's in a Name ?"

'sWhat's in Name?"
The ancient Greeks attached great
Importance to names. Plato recon-
mends parents to give happy ones to
their children; and the Pythagoreans
taught that the minds, actions and sue
cess of men were according to the ap-
pellations which they bore. The Ro-
mans seem to have been equally i'm
zso:aen, bosaua,s omen, became popular
maxim among them. To select bona
aaOnain0 was always an object of solici-
tude, and it was considered quite
enough to damn man that he bore q
name Of evil import. Livy, speaking
of su Oh an appellation, calls it abonin-
0fadi oa,ai,ais nonae,s. A similar belief
pre- vailed among all the nations of
antiquity. It embodied a truth which
has not yet lost its significance or it's
importance.
All names were originally significant,
.andwere always bestowed by the ancients
with regard to their we'll understood
meaning. Sometimes they were COM
memorative of some incident or circum-
stance connected with the birth of he
individual bearing them: as, Thomas, a
twin; Mains, May (applied to one born
In that monthly Septimus, the seventh,
etc. In other cases they wer expressive
of the aspirations, desires or hopes of
the parents; as Victor, one who conquers;
Felix, happy; Benedict, blessed. Not
unfrequently they were descriptive of
personal qualities; as, Macras, tall;
Pyrrhus, rudy; Rufus, red haired.
were in the days of Plato, and as
important; but are frequently ignorant
" or careIessly applied, thus making
our personal nomenclature worse than
meaningless. GO A man with the name
Of George Or Thomas" Leigh Hunt OBJ
serves. ''might as well, to all under
stood purposes, be called spoon or hat
band - Blanche is now anything but
the faxen-haired blonde which her
name indicated. Isabel is no longer
brown. Cecilia (gray-eyed) bellies her
name, and s'lets fly the arrows of love"
from eyes of heavenly blue. I here
present some of the personal names now
in use, with their origin and signifca-
ton:
Albert (German), all bright; Alexan-
der (Greek), helper of men; Alfred
(German), elf council; Alexis (German),
helper. Alphonso is said to be the
Sr anish form Of the anc ent Gothic FL
funs, our help. Ada is well known as
the name of Byron's daughter It is
from the Saxon, and signifies happy.
Adelaide is of German derivation,
and has the meaning of Princess.
"a little maid,
Goiden-tressed Adelaide
Agnes. chaste, is from the Greek. It
and lovely beings should bear it.
Is thy far face like thy mothers, my fair
chtld, Ada %
Irvine ye roses for the brow,
Of the lady of my VOW,
My Agnes fair
Alice is from the German, and signi-
fes noble.
'tOh that were beside her now!
Oh will she answer if call ?
Oh would she give me VOW fer VOW,
Sweet Alice, If tod her alp"
Anna, (Hebrew), signifies gracious.
Arabella is Of Latin derivation, and has
the meaning of beautiful altar. Before
no place of sacrifice bend devouter
worshippers:
Bella, Arabella belle.
Fairer than my words can tell;
lave thee well, Arabelle-
Belle p
Baldwin is from the Saxon, and sig
mites bold winner; Basil, kingly, is of
Greek origin; Baptiste (French), given
in honor of ST. John the Baptist; Be-
atrice Oatin), one who blesses or makes
happy; Bertha (Germap), bright or ia
NOUS; Berenice Greek, bringing vic
tory.
Casimir (Polish), signifies command
of peace, noble title for prince, and
essentially national in Poland, where it
was endeared by the fame of three OF
the greatest of the early sovereigns. 1t
was one of the few Slavonic names used
IN Germany. and either for the sake OF
the sound or for Polish sympathies be-
came fashionable In France.
Constantine Uatin), firm; Claud Ga
TIM, lame; Cecil Oatin), dim eyed ),
Celestine (french), heavenly; Charles