The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-09-12
HTPHENATED NAMES.
Reasons Why the Faehion Of Using The
IL Becomisx Popular.

Reasons Why the Enshion Of Using Them
Is Bscomins Popular.
One Of the fashions which, OF first sight,
seem difficult to account for ia that par.
ticular weakness which causes an endless
number Of people to change their sur
names But little thought will give the
flew to tho rapidly increasing army who
go through the world labeled in q form
differing from the original advertisement
Of their known male ancestors. 1t Is
strange, but nevertheless true fact, that
The undpubted tendency of aristocratio
families Is to become extinct, or to end In
heiresses There is no legitimate male
descendant Of any king of England who
sat on the throne before the reign Of
GeorgeI.
or the rs barons who set their hands to
Magma Charta not single male descend
ant remains There is not single Eng.
fish barony by writ (heritable by or
through females) now held by male Of
tho family In which 1t was originally
created. There are only about 800 noble
or gentle families now holding the same
land In male succession which their mslo
ancestors held even as recently as the reign
Of King Henry VII. There IL scarcely an
English pedigree without break. It Is
doubtful II there are 30 authentic male
pedigrees today in England which can be
taken back to the conquest.
Thus the necessity Of changing ones
name argued connection with and de-
scent from an ancient family-ergo, it was
an aristocratic thing to change ones name
or take double name. After that Of
course came the deluge Of such changes.
At much later date came the class who,
with no inherited obligation to do So
were glad enough to perpetuate by
change Of surname or by the adoption of
double surname the fact of their descent
In female line from an ancient house.
At still later date, probably within the
last 30 years, has arisen yet another class,
typical product Of the days we live in,
who for mere purposes Of distinction, one
might say from the necessity of distinc-
ton, have been glad to seize any plausible
excuse to either make complete change
or more often to hyphen on some other
name In the hope that the combination
Will be more or less distinctive. While
such names as PlantaRenet, Maltrayers,
Mauleverer, Conyers, Fitzalan, De Bohun,
etc., have become extinct, the names Of
Smith, Brown, Jones and Robinson still
increase and multiply as the sand upon
tho seashore. And with this gllastly null
duplication and duplication, small wonder
that distinction becomes advantageous.
1t seems to DO very general idea that
man may change bis name, as, how and
when he likes, seeking the approval and
authorization Of no one save himself.
Nearly every solicitor will advise you to
this effect, because the textbooks he Grams
from and relies upon do not teach him to |
the contrary. This idea, unfortunately,
is rapidly spreading and to great extent |
dates from the following dictum Of
judge, who remarked from the bench, 81
know of no law to prevent any man chang.
ing his name as often as he likes, provided
that it is not done for the purposes of
fraud" This is not the only case in
which judge has gone wrong by endeav-
oring to apply the rules of law court law
and jurisdiction to matters of Honor"
which are In the sole prerogative of the
crown and which are within the jurisdic-
lion OF the earl marshal's court.-Genea- !
logical Magazine.