The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1890-08-09
GIRLS, NAMES CHANGE.
Tho Decline of Susan, Mary, Jane and
All the Old Fayorftes.

Tho Decline of Susan, Mary, Jane an,
All the Old Favorites.
The roll Of honor in the public schoo
affords us an excellent opportunity I,
study the present fashion in girls names
The names Of our mothers and grand
mothers, largely Biblical and univ ers
ally in use at the beginning Of the cen
tury, are out Of favor to-day.
In nearly q thousand names there IL
no Nancy Extremely popular in the last
century,, and but single Martha and
Maria. Jane has gone almost out o1
use, there being but two recorded, and,
strange to say, both Of French parent
age, but number of Jennies and Jean.
nettes survive. There is one Emily,
one Charlotte, no Catherine, but two
Kates, and innumerable Katies, which
seems to be the latest form that Cath
crime has talsen-Catherine, Kate, Katie.
Sarah, very popular fifty years ago, has
practically disappeared in favor OF
Sallie and Sadie Caroline is also out
of fashion, superseded by Carrie and
Lena. Susan does not boast single
preventative, but there are number
Of Susies; and Elizabeth has retired
from service in favor of Lizzie. There
are but three Margarets, but plenty Of
Marguerites, and some Margarettas.
Ellen is dead as name, but Nellie is
still quite popular.
Mary has been thought the most fre-
quent female name, being both euphoni-
GUS and pleasantly and honorably asso-
ciated. 1t is said that one-third of the
women and girls of France are Maries.
1t is different in New Orleans, where
the number of Marys is very small and
growing smaller every day. There are
a number Of Mollies and Mamies, and
not few Maries; indeed, at one time it
looked as If all the Anglo-Saxon Marys
would be gallicized into Marie, but so
many became converted that it rather
overdid the business, and Marie became
as common as Mary, which may account
for the number of girls Of French or
creole parentage who bear the English
form of the name "Mary."
Shakespeares names are coming in as
fashionable, even at this late day.
There were more Violas on the roll Of
honor of the public school than James,
Hates, Emiiys, Ellens, Nancys, Marga-
rets, Carolines, Marthas, Marias, Susans
and Sarahs together. The name is
fashionable just now, but we are afraid
its popularity will not last long, for our
colored fellow citizens have taken to it,
and have doomed it to the same fate as
Violet and Pinkie. Stella is good Sec
ond, and Mabel, Ethel, Alma, Daisy,
Luella, Loretta, Edna and Rita follow
as in most favor just at present. Any
one of them will discount Susan, Sarah
or Jane many times over, and even lead
Mary.
Ruby, quite in favor fifteen years ago
is getting rather antiquated. The fam
ciful names of the last century as
Amanda and Malvina are also going out.
Hazel, which came in with Hazel Kirke
some dozen years ago, did not "sticls"
and is not increasing. "Birdie" has
been laughed out and is less common
than ten years ago; indeed, number of
Brides have converted it into BERTHE. |
Gladys is apparently forcing its way to
the front, and promises to be we'll re-
ceived. Pearl, Pearlie and Perle are |
also coming in, and nearly any form of |
Rose will do but Rose ITSELF for there |
ire Rosellas, Rosettas, Roselias and |
Rosamonds.
Shakespeare, as we have said, is a
prime favorite for female names. His
Viola leads them all in New Orleans, and
,ven Ophelia is quite common among
,he girls, Notwithstanding thatlady's un-
happy fate; but apparently no mother
las had the courage to name her daugh-
,er Desdemona. The opera has given
yiven us Aida, Norma and Carmen
which seem to have crept in Of late-all
ather inappropriate names, taking the
ives OF these ladies into consideration.
Priscilla has but single
epresen tative on the roll. Secessia re-
alls the late war; but how is it that Sc
essia is attending the public schools at
his late day!
But OF pure fancy names, picked up
lere and there from novels or poems,
# possibly Thought out" there is no
nd.
1t will be seen that il any one can
uggest good name for girl, there are
ozens Of mothers prepared to adopt it
t once. If the present tendency con-
inues, Sarah and Susan will become so
are in another generation that they
'ill sound sweet to us again and be hon
red by our grandchildren as they were
y our grandfathers. We feel it neces-
ary to warn godmothers that the
lola, Stella and Daisy racket is being
y. Times-Democrat.
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