The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-05-25
WHAT'S IN A NAME.
Rev. F. E. Clark's Lecture at Williston
Church

Rev. F. E. Clark lectured last night to a
large audience on "What's in Name?' In
commencing his lecture Mr. Clark propounded
Juliet's question to Romeo, "What's in
name?" and proceeded to say that ever since
Juliet asked it the world has gone on practi-
cally giving various answers to her question.
The study of family names is by no means I'M
interesting and many Mr.. Smith and Mr..
Jones and Mr.. Carpenter and Mr.. Black.
many Tom, Dick, Harry and Charles would
find in that which is so common to him as his
own name, much more of history or romance
than he supposed was lurking in it. In sparse
ly settled and barbarous countries one name
answered very we'll no doubt. When there
were but one or two Johns in community or
tribe, then, when John was called every one
knew who was meant.
But by and by he Johns became numerous
and so for matter of convenience that John
who smote the iron became John Smith,, and
John the builder became John Carpenter, and
John with the light complexion became John
White, and John with the. dark complexion
became John Black, and John who lived in
the valley was known as John Dale, and John
who cultivated his farm on the mountain side
what more natural than that he should be
called John Hill.
could have been straight of limb and hand
some as an Apollo, and here was one with bent
limbs with whom our ancestors did not mince
matters, but plainly called him John Cruik-
shanks. But after while as you can easily
believe, John Smith had son named John
Smith, and in order to distinguish the two
what more natural than the younger should
become John Smithson, and John Roberts
boy when he grew up became John Robert
son.
Rntt how a1vr hoo,
well as sons to be provided with names and for
this purpose the prefix o has been employed,
and Pat O'Flaherty is the grandson of Mr..
Patrick Flaherty. Fitz too, is prefix of
Norman origin, meaning son, and when the
young son becomes ashamed of his fathers
plain name, Noodle. and calls himself Fitz-
noodle, we must not blame him, for he is only
confessing that he is Noodles son. Bible
names and Puritan adaptations of moral
phases were referred to, and jury impanelled
IN CromWell'S time was mentioned, in which
were found such names as "Faintnot Hewitt"
earth Adams "Killsin Pimple," ely
Debate Roberts,
Curious negro names and the noted names
OF fiction received their share of attention as
we'll as the inappropriate NAL dpropos names,
which are often so ludicrous in their connec-
tions.
Nicknames and other popular bywords of
the past were also alluded to briefly.
In speaking especially of English family
names the lecturer said that they were derived
from four great sources:
christian names, such as Richard from
which Rix Ricketts,, Dick, Dickens, Dicken-
son, &C.. are derived. From John host of
surnames come-John, johnson and Jackson
and score of others.
2-Names of places, as York. Bolton, &c.
3--Names OF occupations,a very prolific
source of surnames. From the wooden trade
and manufacture for instance have come the
Iaylors Shermans, fuckers, Fullers and
Walkers. From the tanners trade we derive
the Curriers', Bankers, Whittiers. &C., &c.
4-Nicknames from which have come many
names OF the present such as Long, Short
White, True. Gay, SC.
Mr.. Clark then gave the origin of some of
the more common Portland names as Libby :,
Jordan, Hobbs, Chapman and Dyer.
lie closed with some account of the odd
geographical names of Maine,-''a state in
which you can make the grand tour of Europe
without going beyond it's borders
The lecture was the work of much research
and thought, replete with instruction and
humor, while the answer to the questions pro-
pounded was given by the statement, "What
is not in name?"