Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-11-27
WHAT'S IN A NAMEl
The Fashion OF Nomenclature. Chris.
teninG and that Sort Of Thing.

x.
From the Pittsburg Telegraph.
The past decade has brought about many
changes in our nomenclature, and the new gen.
erationis chrlstened from a later calendar A
preference is now shown for what are called
old-fashiOned names. and senseless diminutives
are quite out of favor. Young ladies' who have
been christened Elizabeth or Katherine or Caro-
line or any other such name, have come at last to
appreciate the stately sweetness of these pre-
nomina. and hencefOrth there will be happy
dearth of Lizzies and Kitties and Carries and of
the rest of the lie. ssterhood. 1t is in the story
books that we find the strongest marks of inno-
walton In this respect Twenty years
ago the heroine Of romance having lust
got rid of the Clorinda- Viola-Angeica,
Rosabella nomenclature, fell heir to number of
pseudo coquettish diminutives, such as Nellie,
Fannie, Mamie, Lille, Mamie. Winnie, and so
On ad nauSeam. But these proved only rapid
ephemera-thank heaven! and were succeeded
by the type that is called quaint" Later day
as Dorcas, Phoebe. Marcia, Barbara, Phyllis,
Agatha-et I'd Oaane genus. Whether the novel
writer's have wrought this Change or been sub
ject to it, cannot say, but certain 1t is that the
above is the clue to the nomenclature of fash
Ion, which is supposed to have something Of an
esthetic cast
The present rage is for things German.
French Is quite out of date for umlauts are very
becoming to pretty lips, and fer sentiment, Auf
Wiedersehen goes farther than al. reu0ir. Every
body Is studying the German language, reading
German books, visiting German countries, aping
German customs, and now we have an influx Of
the sweet old German-the real Teutonic names
The Ethels and Adelaides, Ediths and Berthas.
Harriets and Paulines increase and multiply.
Ihere Is general disposition to choose names
that have pleasing cOnsonance withthe cogno-
men, and hence the fashion of namesakes is not
so commonly In vogue, except where there is
an Industrious, time-h0nOred appellation handed
down through centuries people prefer q name
that expresses some character. The sentimental
lists still humOr their weakness. but it has taken
on new aspect. The maidens who, In bygone
days, would have bloomed out into Lilies and
Roses, now become Beryls and Amaralylises and
Juliets and lrenes. Some people run to beroics,
and the wee ones are baptized as Cornelia.
Portia, Joan. Zenobia, Corinne. Roxana Par
thenia, etc. But the general principle Is to
eschew empty names, and among the favorites
not already mentioned may be cited the follow
ing: Constance DOr0thea Esther Helen Hor-
tense, Judith, Jeanette Mildred. Rachel Sibyl,
Therese and Winnifred. Here may say, by the
way, that old-time christenings are now la
mode. and are celebrated with Q breakfast. The
infant, tricked out In the most wonderful
clothes, which are mass Of costly laces and
embroidery, is borne to the fount on beauti-
f0lly-worked pillow, after the English style. It
Is again the custom to have god parents, who
are, Of course. valued friends OF the father and
mother. The baby Is baptized nom bowl of
beaten silver, cut glass or rare porcelain, which
- usually the gift of the god-mother and bears
the ch.ld's name with the date Of it's BIRTH
These bowls, a. may be supposed, are carefully
Treasured - family relics.