The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-08-07
FASHIONS In NAMES.
The Old Favorites Such as Susan,
Sarah and Martha, Fast Dying Out.

Sarah and Martha, Fast Dying Out.
The roll of honor in the public
school affords us an excellent oppor-
tunity to study the present fashion in
girls m The names of Jul
mothers and grandmothers, largely
Biblical and universally in Isl at the
beginning of the century are out Of
favor today.
In nearly a thousand names there is
no Nancy Extremely popular in the
last century,, and but q single Martha
and Maria. Jane has gone almost out
of use, there being but two recorded,
and, strange to say, both of French
parentage, but q number OF Jennies
and Jeannettes survive. There is
Emily, one Charlotte, no Cath
crime, but two Hates and
innumerable Katies, which seems
to be the latest form that
Catherine has taken-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also out of fashion, superseded by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 a single representative, but
there are a number OF Susles; 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 a NAME. bit Nellie is still quite
popular.
Shakespeare's names are coming in
as fashionable, even at this late day.
There were more Violas on the roll OF
honor of the public schools than
James, Hates, Emilys, Ellens, Nancys,
Margarets, Carolines, Marthas. Marias,
Susans and Sarahs together. The
name is fashionable just now, but we
are afraid it's 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 Pinkey.
Stella is a good second, 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 Anticipated.
Mary has been thought the most
frequ emit female name, being both eu-
phonious and pleasantly and honor
ably associated. 1t is said that one
third of the women and girls OF France
are Maries. 1t is different in New Or
leans, where the number of Marys is
very small and growing smaller every
day. There are a number OF MOllies
and Mamies, and not d few Maries;
indeed, at one time it looked as if all
the Anglo-Saxon Marys would be Gal
licized into Marie, but SO many be-
came 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 Eng
lish form of the name Mary"
The fanciful names of the last cen
tury, as Amanda and Malvina, are
also going out. Hazel, which came
in with "Hazel Kirke" some dozen
years ago, did not stick and is not
increasing. "Birdie' has been laughed
out and is less common than ten years
ago; indeed, anumber of brides have
converted it into BERTHE. Gladys is
apparently forcing its way to the
front and promises to be well received.
Pearl, Pearlie and Perle are also
coming in, and nearly any form of
Rose will do but Rose itself, for there
are Rosellas, Rossettas, Roselias and
Rosamonds.
Shakespeare, as we have said, is a
prime favorite for female names. His
Viola leads them all in New Orleans,
and even Ophelia is quite III
among girls, Notwithstanding that
lady's unhappy fate; but apparently
no mother has had the courage to
name her daughter Desdemona. The
opera has given us Aida, Norma and
Carmen-which seems to have crept in
of late-all interchangeable names
taking the lives of these ladies into
consideration. Longfellow's Pris-
ella has but a single representative
on the roll. Eecessia recalls the late
war; but how is it that q Secessia is
attending the schools at this late day!
But of pure fancy names, picked up
here and there from novels or poems,
or possible Thought out, there is no
end.
1t will be seer that if any one can
suggest a good name for a girl, there
are dozens of mothers prepared to
adopt it at once. Ii the present ten
dency continues Sarah and Susan will
become so rare in another generation
that they will sound sweet to US again
and be honored by our grandchildren
as they were by our grandfathers.
We feel it necessary to warn god
mothers that the Viola, Stella and
Daisy racket is being overworked.-
NeW orleans TSmeS-DemocrGt.
She's to Blame.
I mean the noble, generous woman.