The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-02-15
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perusal Of a single school catalogue to
convince one that there is much room
for improvement iii this matter.
Que reason why we hear so many In
HARMONIOUS corsa5inatiqns Of names lies
in the pracusce OF handing down ola
family nasnes. When Mrs. Larkin.
names her daughter Ierusha Mehetable
after her avn dear aunss. she has in
mind the many kinds deeds Of these good
old sous. the sa.isfactcn they will feel
at the honor conferred upon them. aud
the material way in wGaich they win
probably express this satisfaction. But
when Jerusha Meheuabie Lavkins APP
proaches wonanrood THESE grand-aun;s
Ter whom she was named having died in
her infancy, she harhors no pleasant
memories in connection with their names
and wonders why her mother could not
nave given her some prstty modern
names in stead. Jerusha and Mehetable
are good old-fash.oned cognomens. we
viii admst. but they have an air of be-
longing to the past
In many cases there seems to have
been a total disregard of euphony in se-
lecting a name for the baby, and such
harsh sounds as Walter Coulter. Asa
Lacy, frequently strike the ear.
rule, any combination of voweTs on, con-
sonants found in he surname should De
avoided in the given name If the sur
name IS short, a nonosyllabla, il makes
6 more euphonious combination to have
the first name of two or three syllables.
An influential man of the period claims
that an attractive name is Of the high
est Importance from a business point of
view. and states that ne has given his
three boys names 50 in accordance with
the rules Of euphony that their names
gscne will give them a Start in Wife
equivalent to a cash capital of SIS, 900.
II resas with the mother of today to
say whether the literature Of the future
shall be filed with Understanding, dis-s
3agreeable combinations or with names
vlsicl it win be a pleasure to read. I
4 say 10 the mothers, for the fathers all
most invariably consider it the mothers
-prerog2tivS to give g name to the little
new-eSgnee. And the sensible mother
will sa1 aside her prejudice in favor of
naTLng ln5y ,lile- SINE favoritei re1a-
tive or novel heroine and give her chill
dren pretty and appropriate names based
on euphonic principles.
OF course what might be musical to
the cars of enc might not be lae AN
csier, but a iu-se discrimination and
comnlo sense WI show II as good adj
vantage IL the selection of a name as in
any ether way that 1T could be used.
Often a name really becomes a favorite
one TO US because Of tine affection and re-
soosf which we bear toward one to
whom it belongs. but 1t will hardly fol-
sw THAT we call a child by any name.
and it win surely grow sweet with use.
] can recall a man who carried the name
- ~. z-.- - 4 o.. --..,
dignity. but what a hard tins he must
Gfeye had OF it when a boy.
Two names are better than one. they
are most musical. if wen put together,
and i sney Jock we'll when written in
fail. This is especially true Tor one in
rubEc life. or If the surname is a yer,
common one. Give your son a name that
1r2u would like to see written in fun
when he becomes a noted divine or Sena-
s3r. Who would know whom H. w.
Bee1her meant, CT Henry Beechar. with
cut TIE charming Ward intsriarded.
-Nass GssTesand. O, or alsewhere.
wouM know that you meant Milton
Merle Smith, if you wrote simply Rev.
NJ N. Smith:
Another point in choosing a name is
to get one that cannot be nicknamed, or
at least one that will nickname well:
not like the woman who named haze bov
Sapollo and call him SAP for short
and her girl Cynthis. and called her sin
For the second name or the middJe
name, as it is usually called, it is often
desirable for one child in the family
to bear his mothers maiden name nro-
vided it is not an obiectionable one
and if harsh family names. and first
names of relatives. must be handed down
through several generations. lei them
take his pace of middle name" by
all means, rather than the first. which
should be chosen with special care in
this case.
When the child grows older the OBJ
jectionab,e name may be simplv
designated by an initial. Another thing
that the mother should be particular
A has this pronunciation, rather than
ie. Alya will not become Alive. .Julia.
Julie; not Ella. Ellie, il the mother is
careful to see that this pronunciation
IS not allowed during babvhood.
Above all things don't give The moor
little helpless bit Of humanity a name
that will be a modification to him all
his life simply for the sake of c~ontinu-
fnv a nraotioa Of ba nd;nr 7or-n ,aua