The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-10-03
GIRLS NAMES CHANGE.
The Decline Of Susan, Mary, Jane ana
All the Old FavOrites.

GIRLS NAMES CHANGE.
The Decline Of Susan, Mary, Jane anu
All the Old FavOrites.
The roll of honor in the public school
affords us an excellent opportunity to
study the present fashion in girls names
The names of our mothers and grand
I mothers, largely Biblical and unlvers-
ally in use at the beginning OF the CEN
fury, are out of favor to-day.
In nearly thousand names there is
no Nancy Extremely popular in the last
century,, and but single Martha and
Maria. Jane has gone almost out OF
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
Hates, and innumerable Katies, which
seems to be the latest form that Cath
crime 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of fashion, superseded by Carrie and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 single
representative, 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 fire.
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
. number of Mollies and NAMES, 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."
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 school than James,
Hates, Emilys 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
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 'stick''
and is not increasing. "Birdie" has
been laughed out and is less common
than ten years ago; indeed, a number of
Brides have converted it into BERTHE
Gladys is apparently forcing it's 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
are 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
even Ophelia is quite common among
the girls, Notwithstanding that lady's I'M
happy fate; but apparently no mother
has had the courage to name her daugh-
ter Desdemona. The opera has given
given us Aida, Norma and Carmen
which seem to have crept in Of late-all
rather inappropriate names, taking the
lives of these ladies into consideration.
Longfellow's Priscilla has but single
representative on the roll. Secessia re-
calls the late war; but how is it that Sc
cessna is attending the public schools at
this late day!
But of pure fancy names, picked up
here and there from novels or poems,
or possibly Thought out" there is no
end.
| 1t will be seen that if any one can
suggest good name for girl, there are
dozens of mothers prepared to adopt it
ut once. If the present tendency con-
tinues, Sarah and Susan will become so
rare in another generation that they
will sound sweet to us again and be hon
ored by our grandchildren as they were
| by our grandfathers. We feel it neces-
sary to warn godmothers that the
Viola, Stella and Daisy racket is being
overworked.-N. D. Times Democrat.