The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-10-01
william.
[Cornhill Magazine.l

| lNOTuHlh MN6aoihosl
When the Franks moved eastward
from their Teutonic home into the coun-
try to which they have given the name
Frankerich or France, they naturally
took with them all their German names.
Whether Wilhelm was one OF these, OF
whether it came in later with the dynas-
ty of Karl the Great-our Charlemagne
4 can not tell you; though perhaps
some more learned person may have met
with the name in the pages of Gregory OF
Tours or his successors. At any rate, it
speedily passed into general use in Nor
mandy, as soon as the Scandinavian set
tiers had called the rich Province OF
Neustra after their own race.
The first generation of Mortimer in
Gaul naturally bore such Norwegian
names as Hrolf, Grim, Biorn, Harold,
Thor and Haco. But the younger crop
of Christianized and Gallicized Nor
mans copied the baptismal designations
of their Frankish over-lords; and thus
Hrolf himself, the Rollo of our mutt
lated histories, first Duke of the new
Principality, gave his son and successor
the Frankish name of Wilhelm. This
Wilhelm was followed by continuous
line of Richards, Roberts, and other
WiIhelms, till at last the dynasty cul-
minated in the great Conqueror OF Eng
land, who introduced the new Norman
titles into his Kingdom.
William the Conqueror himself spelled
his name WILHELM, though, for a reason
to be mentioned hereafter, the form
Pilielm occurs most often on his coins.
Even before the Conquest, Williams were
by no means unknown in England; for
the Normanizing tendency had already
begun at the Court of Edward the Con-
fessor "Willelm Biscop," as the "Chroh-
ice" calls him was well-known person.
age under the sanity King; and English
families even then had taken fancy for
calling their sons after the intrusive for
eigners who focked to the hospitality OF
Westminster and Winchester. In fact,
Norman names were getting fashionable.
But after the Conquest, the fashion be-
came an irresistible tide.
In few years all our native names
had disappeared, and every Dudda and
Tate in England was christening his or
her children "Rodbert," 'Heanrig," and
"Gesfrei," the Robert, Henry, and Geof:
> roy of later days. OF course, the royal
cognomen WILHELM was the greatest favor
ite among all these new importations.
Mr.. Bardsley finds no less than sixty
eight persons so called in "Domesday
Rook y so that it had spread widely even
!, during the lifetime os the victor of Hast
ings. "This name," says Camden, "hath
, been most common in England since
:, William the Conqueror, insomuch that
,, on festival day in the Court of King
,, Henry II, when Sir William st. John
= and Sir William Fitzhamon, especial Oil
GERS, had commanded that none but the
!, name of William should dine in the great
! chamber with them, they were accom-
, panied with one hundred and twenty
Williams all knights, as Robert Monten
sis recordeth, ammo 1173."
> Next, it passed into the lowlands o.
Scotland with William the Lion. Through
' the Middle Ages, however, it began tt
n decline again as John and Henry cam'
g into fashion. must ask leave to quote
once more Mr. Bardsley's interesting ac
, count of its subsequent history, after it
q failing popularity during the Plantage
y, net period; for although | have once be
s fore extracted it, apropos OF John, w
: can not we'll omit it here, where its bear
:, ing upon our present subject must chief.
! be considered. at is interesting" say
that painstaking author, "to trace tn
: way in which William has again recov
! cred itself in LATER days. Throughout
- the Middle Ages it occupied sturd
J second place, fearless of any rival be
i yond the one that had supplanted il
% % Its dark hour was the Puritan common
i wealth.
~ As Pagan name. it was rejected wit
- - horror and disdain. From the day of tn
- ~ Protestant settlement and Williams az
" " cession, however, it again looked up fror
!, the cold shade into which it had faller
and now once more stands easily, as eigh
centuries ago, at the head of our baptis
NAL registers. John, on the other hanC
though it had the advantage of being i
no way hateful to the Puritan conscience
a had, from one reason or another, gon
Ill down in the world, and now has again RI
ie sumed its early place as second.