The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-07-04
Wl1Ilih a9le
NAMES OF WOMEN.

They Change with Fashions Quite Often
and Mean a Good Deal
It would not be at all surprising if. in
the centuries to come, the students of the
social nfeof the Nineteenth century should
classify this great cosmic century into
shorter periods according to the fashions
OF gwen names among women. Fashions
In mems names change somewhat. but not
as wonen's. John, Charles, George and
William reign in 1890 as they did in 1890
But the fashion In women's names changes
every ten or fifteen years. 1t is possible
that the sociological New Zealander will
IND that the feminine key names of this
century, 50 to speak, are aboutsas many in
number as tho decades Just what was
the faVorlte woman's name at the very
opening OF the century is hard to guess
oHhand, but the listener may venture to
say that the Nancy epoch was about the
nrst worthy Of the word in the century.
among octogenRrian lA6fes the name of
Nancy seems 10 have q very prominent
place. Further on down the century came
The fashion Of double names-posgibly an
old fashion revived-and we find Martha
AIMS, Mary james and Ann Elias in nearly
every family. Perhaps this epoch would
be best described as the Mary Jane epoch
OF our feminine nomenclature.
1t Is little hard to locate these things
In years, but the Lucy epoch began about
the year 1885 and was closely followed bv
the Helen epoch, which left the name of
the beautiful daughter Of Leda scattered
broadcast over the country Somewhat
after the reign of Helen came the most
singular, understandable epoch of all, the
ooh L.. q ~ T-1r
back to about the year 1850, though there
may have been earlier examples. Where
the name ELLA" came from is a mystery.
The authorities put ir down as oorrup-
tlon OF the name Eleanor, which IN it's turn
was corrupted from Helen. 1t appears to
have no recognized place either in history
or fiction, though evidently it was Dor
rowed from fourth rate popular novel.
1t Is, at any rate, without meaning. with
out associations in the past, without any
other reason for existence at its beginning
except that it pleased many peoples fancy.
Now it no doubt has a recognized exist
ence, since beautiful and good women have
borne 1t, and, like all other names that
women ever bore, it is sanctifed with that
other name of mother. The real Ella epoch
did not set in as early as 1850; probably it
was at its height about the year 1860 Peo-
pie thought it SO prettyI But it is sadly
out Of fashion now.
There was al Ida epoch that came in
somewhere along there, probably just after
the Ella epoch, though the two names ran
pretty closely together. The name of Ida
is good and ancient one, though most of
the people who took itup doubtless thought
they had hit upon something quite new.
Most Of the Idas of the time about 1860
were named for a character in a popular
story or for one another. But following
he Ella and Ida period there came another
girl name which attained a most extraor-
binary rage; the Edith epoch, indeed,
survives almost to the present day Be
tween 1865 and 1875 about half Of the girl
babies were christened Edith, and the crop
Is Hpentng fast now as a matter of course.
Look at the high school catalogues and see |
how they bTistle with Ediths.
An ancient Saxon name, and a pretty |
one, disused for centuries and revived all |
at once-a happy revival if it had not been
Overdone. Then came the Maud-and-Mabel |
epOch-these names have to be hyphenated |
because neither ever seemed able 10 stand /
up without tho other They were a great
rage in their turn. The main crop of Mauds
and Mabels will hardly mature before an
other five years, though the earlier SOW
ings are ripe ALREADY. Since then we have
had the Marjorie revival-an exceedingly
pretty name that, and better and more En-
glish than either Maud or Nabel-and now
we are threatened with Gladys epoch.
Here We have another name ont of the
story books, and an awkward one at that.
But fashions in names had much better be
revivals of old, disused English names, like
Gladys, Ethel, Edith, Barbara, than mere
inventions or importations. And great
deal more depends upon the woman, any
way, than on the name.-Boston Tran
script.