The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1889-08-15
A STUDY OF NAMES.

ately glad. though, it's all settled and
done with. London Truth. @
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A STUDY OF NAMES.
Interesting stati.tics Regarding Three
Hundred Grammar School Graduates.
Some interesting facts are disclosed
by an examination of the names of the
pupils who graduated from the Somer-
vile grammar schools last summer.
The number of boys and the number of
girls among the graduates is almost
equal; 1856 boys and LAG girls received
diplomas showing that they had COM
pleted the grammar school course.
No one who glances at the list of
names can fail to be surprised at the
variety among them. Among these 1876
boys. 63 names have been divided, and
no one name was repeated more than
ten times. Among the girls the variety
is even greater. To 146 girls eighty
three different names were given, and
not more than seven girls in the whole
number were named alike. The aver
age age of the graduates OF the gram
mar schools is probably about ii years.
A little study of the names, therefore,
will show what names were popular in
1875. when most of these young people
of whom their parents are to-day so
proud, were not yet eating with a
spoon.
Girls names in ''ie' had not altogether
gone out of fashion then, although the
liking for them was gradually growing
less. Of the 146 names in question,
only thirty-five, or about rs per cent,
have the weak termination. Nellie
was the name admired most, and seven
sweet girl babies drew that valuable
prize. Six Mabels and six Emmas
joined the infantile chorus at the same
time, and twenty other babies were
called Annie, Alice, Clara, Mary-fve
of each. Four Idas walled sadly in
unison when lunch time passed
neglected by, and three girl babies
were supposed to look conscious when
either Carrie, Caroline, Flora, Flor
ence, Jennie, Gertrude, Grace, Lillian,
Lizzie or Maude was mentioned. Two
of these blessed babies each had her
cup and spoon engraved Bertha, Eva,
Ethel, Ella, Elizabeth, Fannie, Jessie
or Esther, while the singlets were
fifty-seven in number: Agnes, Angelina,
Addie, Afra, Amy, Belle Bessie, Cath
arine CHATS wrong;i it should be either
Catherine or Katharine), Christiana,
Clementine, Dora, Edith, Eta, Ellen,
Fanny, George, Genevieve, Goldie,
Harriet. Helen, Isabella, Isabel, Julia,
Josephine, Josie, Katharine, Lena,
Lydia, Lula, Lottie, Lavinia, Loretta,
Leura, Louisa, Louise, Lima. Laura,
Madella, Mile, Melissa, Mertie, Mar
garet, Martha, Matte, Maud, Nina,
Orleanna, Sarah, Sallie, Sadie, Susie,
Sophia, Teresa, Virginia and Winifred.
The Dorothys and Ruths and Mildreds
were products of later age.
Boys, of course, are not of so much i'm
portance as girls, even when they are
babies. and the parents of these 1856
boys born in 1875 or Whereabouts did
not take SO much trouble in devising
names for them. George and Arthur
were favorites in the selection, and
twenty future Presidents were disposed
OF at a slap with these two names.
Nine were called William, nine Charles,
six James. six Frank, five Harry, four
Edward, four Fred, four Frederick,
four Daniel, four John. four Walter,
three Herbert, two each Ernest, Fran
els, Leonard and Nathaniel. The forty
four single choices were Amherst,
Alvin, Albert, Bartholomew, Benjamin,
Chester, Cornelius, Clarence, Clifford,
Clifton. Davis, David, Dudley, Edgar,
Ellis, Edwin, Elmer, Edmund, Everett,
Elwell, Frederic, Herman. Harold,
Henry, Howard. Horace, Luther, Mil
ton, Morton, Michael, Norval. Paul.
Philip, Rudolph, Richard, Robert,
Thomas, Ulysses, Wesley, Waldron,
Washington. Willis, Wilbur and Will
lard. There was only one Harold and
not a Kenneth in the lot.
The versatility of human genius IS
shown in this interesting catalogue.
None of the names in the list are copy
rfghted, not even ARA, Orleanna,
Norval, Leura, Madella, Mertie or
'Clementine. They are all available
now. and if new parents have difficulty
in choosing for their offspring, whether
they wish to be in the fashion or out
of it, the Journal certainly can not be