The Press., 1885-04-23
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 ClAristela Mann eS.

My article on christen names in the last
 issue of The Press was written some time ago. Coming across it the other day4 took it i'll hand and prepared it for Nhe] Press by comparing 1t carefully with #heI list of names on which it was based, aht1 condensing it so that 1t should not en- croach upon the space of the paper to the
 exclusion of any part of its usual variety.
 Many names and the comments on them
 were omitted. The article attracted at
 tention on the part.of some who had given
 no special thought to the matter treated,
 and some of the statements occasioned surprise and afforded ground for friendly
 questioning. I propose now to give in
 brief the leading names in the list reported
 to me last January. I have the names of 5O3 boys and 457 girls. Generally the girls have outnumbered the boys. It seems strange that the balance should tip so far the other way-but such is the case-for while the Springs and Fo1RiAe and Hollow districts are about even, obaf- fordville and some of the smaller districts present surprising masculine pnedoml- nence In looking over the following hst l it will be seen that the names given last week still in the main hold their leading places after the lapse of years. The fol- i lowing names and none others occur ten times or more in the list /: Willie, B :; Charles, 27; John, 26 Frank, 22; Ed ward and Edwin, 19; George, l9; Joseph, IT; Fred, IF; Henry or Harry, IT James, 15; Ernest, 12; Albert, II; Mary, 3S 1; Maggie, IS; Annie, Is; Nellie, l6; Liz zie, IA Florence, II Jennie, 10; Grace, 1O Mabel, To- The list of last week had Lewis, Thomas, Della, Hattie, Kate and Emma, which are dropped, as not now counting ten, while Charles, Albert, Grace and Mabel are added. The names are widely scattered this year, and had the new ones here, for they are very odd. The first list that considered led me into the error of saying, contrary to my previous 1 impression, that Charles was becoming rare. It was rare in that list, but in the last it asserts itself with great vigor, and almost pushes Willie out of place. But the other names have been subjected to no very radical change ill position. A few mentioned as not appearing Ill the former list are in th1s-but only a few. The good old Hebrew names, very com mon and much prized here in Stafford and elsewhere fifty years ago, are about clean gone for the present, save as they are borne by people who have crossed or are crossing the line of life's meridian. With Hebrew names mentioned last week as once wide ly popular and still dear from old associa. tions, should be chased Abner, Amasa and Asa, Eben, Enoch and Ezra, Gamaliel, Hiram and Isaac, Isaiah, Libbeus, Moses and Nathan, Noah and Phineas. Old } fashioned Harry, once great favorite as representing Henry, is coming again into larger use, as indicated in the last list. But blunt Hen, like Tom and Joe, will probably hold it's own among boys as long as boys are boys. Something like may be said of my own name. When I was boy among my mates it was Gus-when be. came older it was Gustave-and now dc not hear it at all except when visit my early home, and then it sounds strangely enough. It is not common, and I allude to it now mainly to say that it was bestow- ed upon me by an aged man who had Webster and Choate for pupils, and who used to relate to me when I was a lad rem iniseences concerning those distinguished men, which may gather up into another article for The Press. G. M.