Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-04-29
COncernining Names.
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
The steamer Muriel has just arrived
from the West Indies, and person read
ing this item in the shipping column re-
marked, "What strange namer' This
leads one to notice the fashion of the
present day to revive old names, some of
which indeed have become obsolete.
''Muriel' was favorite name in old Eng
lish history, and the Duk of Norfolk, who
fought at Flodden (1513), gave it to his
second daughter, who married the Earl
of Wiltshire. Lord STAFFORD is also men
toned as marrying "Muriel' Gray, but
the name has since then fallen into disuse
until applied to the aforementioned
steamer.
maud" is another old name which after
long neglect has again become popular.
The correct way of writing it is Maud"
Thus William Beauchamp, who lived in
the days of Queen Elizabeth, married
''Mauld," daughter of Lord Knitting. So
also Lord Mulgrave is mentioned as mar
rying "Mauld," daughter of the Earl of
Stafford. Another female name once in
common use butnow obsolete is audrey
as the shepherdess in "As you like it" is
called. [ wondered why woman's name
should have such a termination, but l
learned afterward that the name proper
ly written is "Oudra,' and Shakespeare
evidently had followed the vulgar pro-
nunciatiOn. This name, like many 9TH
ers of the olden time, will no doubt be
revived. AS began this paragraph with
a reference to ship names, | will mention
as a curious fact that from dim antiquity
down to the fifteenth century ship names
occur but twice. The first is the mistic
ArgO, and the next are the vessels in
which Columbus made his first voyage of
discovery, the Santa Maria, the Pinta and
and the Nina. The largest of these was
only 10 tons, but what wonderful service
these little crafts accomplished!
GREEK AND CELLO
Speaking of names, the question has
been raised how Helen (for Ellen) became
so common in Scotland and Ireland in
ancient times, when it is commonly sup
posed to be Greek. To this it may be re-
piled that the Scottish name, instead of
being Helenisticin, its origin is Gaelic,
and find it in old history spelled HelIyn.
Thus it is said that Robert Earle, of Win
chester, married Hellyn, daughter of Lord
Galloway, of Scotland. This took place
in 1864, which certainly must have been
prior to the introduction of Greek liter
allure.
DISSATISFIED PEOPLE.
Occasionally we find people dissatisfied
with their names; then the best thing is
to change them. Paul Jones, for instance,
was originally John Paul, and Henry Will
son, formerly our Vice President was Jer-
emiah Goliath. Reader, you can not be
surprised at his disliking such a name,
L,
taking his maternal, thus giving US Jose phi
L. buckingham, the once distinguished
journalist. Such changes are sometimes
prompted by interest, and thus the rich
Campbell, of Schenectady, dropped his
original name (Schermerhorn) and adopt
ed that patron who gave him an immense
fortune. Commodore Slidell thus also
became Mackenzie, and in the same
manner the novelist, Cooper, who
originally was merely "James,"
adopted the middle name of
"Fennimore after he had reach
ed middle life. Another once p@pu-
lar author diminished his name instead of
charging it, and by dropping "James"
became plain "Bayard Taylor" John
Brahad, once the famous London singer,
was born abraham" but having renounc-
ed Judaism he made the above mention
ed change. A still more remarkable
case is met in the founder of the Smith
soniOn Institution. 1t was James Lewis
Macie until he reached manhood, aud I'M
der this name he took his degree at Ok
ford, but he afterward assumed the name
of James Smithson. He was a man of
science and also of immence wealth and
bequeathed a half million to the United
States of America to found the institute
which bears his name. This was certain
ly very remarkable deed of beneficence
in an Englishman who never set foot in
America.