The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-02-26


represented by Fish, Whale, Surgeon, |
Croppy, Cod, Perch and Pike, while the |
birds also have their representatives in |
Bird, Fowl, Hawk, Pigeon, Falcon, Kite.
Grow, HEM, Turkey, Raven, Eagle, Chick |
en-, Goose, Duck, Bantam, Swallow and
Buzzard Even the insects are not forgot
ten, for there are Buges, Flyes, Spiders.
Sluggs and Hoppers. Whether some of
these names were originally Characteristic,
others accidental and others again given in
scorn and ridicule, is probably at present
unattainable knywledge. Greek girl was
once named Lamda from her lameness MAX
ing her limp like that letter, and some ply
steal or mental popularity of an individual
may have contributed in not few instances
to fix a family name on persons who would
be glad to be rid of It, Names of action are
not so numerous as those of living creatures,
but still from a respectable class and prob
ably arose from some popularity of the indi-
vidual who originally owned the name. A.
mong these are found Bark, and Gallup, and
Trott, and Pace, and Walk, together with
Chase, Quarrel, Love, Plow, Hunt, Bounce,
Restin, Frye, Wrangle and Jump. The
most singular are Cramm, Bolt, Gorge and
Stuffe and it would be interesting to know
whether the originals of these names were
champion eaters III their day, who published
challenges in the papers proposing to mace
hogs of themselves by devouring impossible
quantities of indigestible matter, or whe Their
the names were ironically given to dyspep-
tics who lived on crackers aud water.
INDUSTRIAL NAMES.
Names derived from some industry are
much more common, and their origin is cas-
lily understood from the fact that men have
often assumed name from their occupa-
ton. There are Fowler, and Fyfer, and
Drummer, and weaver, and Carpenter, and
Potter, and Sawyer, and Locksmith, Throw.
er and Freyer, and Dancer, and Ribboner,
and Taylor, and Archer, and Bowman, and
Lover. and Wagner, Turner, and Driver,
and Walker, and Trotter and PAGER, and
Runner, Wrestler, and Wrangler, and Plow
man, and Hunter, and Chaser, Farmer, and
and Glover, and Dresser, and even Bumper
and Bouncer, and Shaver and Barber,
| Springer, Kicker, and Swallower. Closely
| connected with these are names drawn from
| natural objects, and of these there are great
numbers. Diligent search failed to find a
troas but plants ara in abundance, while a
long list of objects of various kinds appears.
! There are House, Barn, Rock, Stone,
Sand, Brick, Mortar, and in connection
with these, of course, Trowel, while the
! carpenters trade is represented by
Hammer, Chise, Plane, ADJ, and
| Knife. Lock and Key, of course, go togeth
| er, and Ward and Wards are also provided
| Fyfe and Drumm naturally keep company:
| so do Pam and Griddle and Plate, and after
I finding these tits but natural to look for
| and expect to find Hamm and Loin, and
Castor and Butter. Penn is frequently met
with; SO is Steele, but Golden is not so
common, and many persons have passed
| long lives without having known Messrs.
Silver, Time, Brass, Copper and link.
I There are many other names, the origin of
which must have been purely accidental.
| Farm is common, but Farming is not SO
| often found. Peach, Apple and Pear are
not uncommon, but Apologize is unusual
and Applejack unique. Porter and All are
more frequently met with than Brandy
| worth Wines is rare, but Grapeseed and
Grapevine are not common. Grass aud FL Ry
and Oates snd Straw are often found; so are
Elder and Oke, and Glover, but such names
as Timothy, Korn, Music, Fortune, Red
head, Vice, Goods, Drye, Harde, Sweet,
| Bitterness and SOuer are extremely rare.
Brookes and Rivers and Straits and Bays
are not unusual, but Island is not often
seen. There is a class Of names somewhat
| singular-the existence of which is account
| ed for by the probable fact that the original
| o. the name took the name of his nation.
Thus the first Mr.. English probably came
| from England, and a hike tendency gave
| names to the Messrs. France, Ireland,
| Spain, Cuba, German, French and Frenchy,
| Dutchy and butcher, WEIGH aud Irish.
IRONY OF NAMES.
| 1t is easy to understand how fond mothers
| could give their daughters such names as
Flora and Lily, Pink and Violet, Daisy and
! Pansy and Rose, Flossie and Jessica. aud
| Mgnonette, Olive and Buttercup and An
| gelica, but how man could acquire such a
name as Diamond or Ruby or Pearl or Agate
is hard to say, But the most difficult prob
lem of all is to ascertain how human beings
came to be named, after parts of trees, and
yet such names as Branch, Root, Leaf,
Stemme, Flowers, Heart, Budd, Bark,
Wood, Chaffe, Chip, Ash and Ashes are
not very unusual. Stranger still is it to find,
after the ingenuity of man has apparently
! been exhausted elsewhere, he turns to por
| lions of the human body or to the bodies of
| brutes to give himself name from them.
| But this has often b EN- done, and hence we
find such names as Horn, Hyde, Hoof, Arm,
| Legge, Hand, Fingers, Tooth, Foot and
Toze. These seem the very quintessence of
irony, but are not any worse than Cheek,
Hare, Trunk, Back, Beard, Eyes, Ear,
| Thumb, Chinn or Neze, and are hardly so
bad as Wens, Corns, Wart. Flesh, Bones,
Blood or Rib, while it seems that anything
would be better than Flemrn, Tears, Signs
or Smoot. Mr.. Twopenny would be dis
posed to consider himself fortunate in COM
pairing his name with Mr. Drawers. who
would no doubt look up to either Mr.. Coates
or Mr. Vest, while Mr.. Colur would be glad
| that his name was not String or Tucker or
| even Buckle or HIATT. 1t is perhaps WELT hat
most people are satisfied with their names.
! Our names are much like our faces; howev-
er ugly they may be, we become used to
them and are seldom willing to exchange
| them for others. If this were not so it would
| be hard to tell why man should keep such
| name as Bellows, or Sparks or Bazop or
Burnup. No doubt even Mr.. Doolittle is
| satisfied with his name, and would not ex-
change with Mr.. January or Mr. March.
The Messrs. Spring, Summer, Fall and Win
ter have no special causes of complaint, and
therefore need no sympathy; but Mr.. Fore
legge is comical by reason of his name,
while Mr.. Crookshanks on tramp, or Mr.
Tenderfoot at a picnic, excite our compass
sion,a Mr.. Bowels, imploring the object of
his youthful affection to become Mrs. Bow
els, calls for the deepest and most heartfelt