The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-12-27

 Stepanus in Latin, and means a crown. The French form is Etienne, the Italian, more like the original, Stefano, the Span- ish Estevan, and the Portuguese, Estevao.
 Anne or Hannah, or Ann, Anne, An nette, Nancy, Nanny, Nan, Nina, Man. nette, Nina or Ninon, are different forms and din.inutives for Grace, which l think is the prettiest form to use as name.
 Elizabeth as well as Grace is Hebrew, and means dedicated to God" It has about dozen diminutives.
 Eve or Eva, have their diminutives heightened, by the Italian form of Eve line and Evelina.
 The very common, but favoiite name of Mary, claims Miriam, Maria, Marian, Malkin, Mawkes and Mawkin, the last being happily obsolete. The diminutives are May, Molly, Moll. Poll and Polly, be- sides the new fashioned "ie" termination now such a favorite with emotional school girls.
 Rupert is the same as Robert Rodger, (famous with the spear) becomes the clownish Hodge, or Y" Hodgekin."
 With our wash-house friends, the Chinese, child receives its first name when about a month old this is called the milk-name, and like the ancient Greek, is generally complimentary, such as the name of flower or some dis virtue, according to sex. This name is dropped when the child grows up. When boy enters school he re- ceives a new name, called the "book name," which. is conferred with much ceremony, and which he afterwards re- tains in the family, still, he is often called familiarly by his milk-name. Business men have what is called "shop name," not putting their own proper one over their store door, but such signs as "Mu- tual Advantage" Abundant Profits & Co.," A mans last name is given after death. It is equivalent to our epitaphs and presume about as truthful as most of them.
 There seems to be wonderful paucity of choice or imagination in the use of christian names among us. The world seems full of Toms, Bills, Sans, and Jacks. Compound names after noted in- dividuals are so common that we can generally tell by the Initials, when added to the last name, what the given name is any one, for instance, could guess that a late governor of Massachusetts was named after Benjamin Franklin, and when one sees the names of c. w. Smith, or H. C. Jones, he does not need to be told the nationality of the bearer. It would be great relief to the senses and often to the possessor of name, if more regard was paid to native names. Our Catholic brethren, to be sure, must pos sess one Saints name," but they may make use of another, and there are many pretty saints names that have almost fallen into disuse, which it would be we'll to revive a taste for. AS a rule, l think, there are fewer pleasant sounding femi- nine names than masculine ones this, however, is only matter of taste.
 Americans have the good fortune of being able to choose from their own happy land many beautiful and expres- sive native names for their sons and daughters. Many of these have been used but the practice is not near com mon en@fgh. Osceola, Tecumseh, and Missouri and, we meet with occasionally, other states besides Missouri, such as Virginia, Carolina and Indiana, which, though not Indian, are pleasant sound ing ones.
 Names of any kind are given for the purpose of distinguishing certain per sons, places or things from others. It should then be the chief object of the namer to combine as much utility with other motives, as possible. A perfect system so far as the naming of human beings is concerned, and one that would receive the thanks of all lawyers on the lookout for missing heirs or lost relatives, could be adopted by bestowing on each male child as middle, or second name (only two to be bestowed) the naiden name of his mother. No matter if there be dozen brothers, let each bear the same middle name. For instance, if a Mir. Smith marries Miss Lawson, her sons John, Thomas and Peter, will be John Lawson, Thomas Lawson and Peter Lawson Smith. Of course they can abbreviate the middle name by the ini- tial. This plan shows at glance wha. Smith family they belong to, that they are brothers and it shows moreover, if a l HkA k~ IL r~-