The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1906-04-21
NAMING CHILDREN.

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The following sensible letter on
the above subject appeared in recent
number of the Farm Journal
One of the first duties of parents is
to give child proper name proper
in every sense of the word. A name
that will be womanly' and digni6ed
for the girl child when she reaches
woman's estate and one that will be
manly and sensible for the boy when
he grows to manhood. 1t is all very
well to bestow fanciful, romantic or
ridiculous names upon babies; but in
the natural order of things, babies
grow up into men and women, and
must take their places in the world,
and the parents who handicap child
by a badly chosen name cannot be
censured too severely.
Such names as John, Charles, Hen
ry,. James, William, &c., are good
old standbys for boys, and if you
wish to call the boy Jack, Charlie,
Willie, Harry, &c., at home, there is
no reason in the world why you
should not do so; but let him be
known, officially, as Charles, William,
John, &c. Enter him so at school,
and teach him from the first to sign
his name so to all notes, letters and
papers.
When a young man writes and
asks me how he can work through
college, know that he will get far
more encouragement from the dean
if he signs himself William Smith,
than if be signs his letters Willie
Smith. The same rule holds good
when sending in an application for a
position.
Give your boy distinctive name.
Any city directory will give you a
string of John Smiths of appalling
length; so, if his surname be Smith,
and you desire to call him John, add
middle name (and use it) that will
make this particular John Smith
stand out amongst the others. John
Stanley Smith has dignified sound
that carries some weight, and there
are many family names that may be
used to good effect, both as first and
middle names. Consider well the
combination before you decide on a
name, as in this land of mixed ma
tionalities there are some curious re-
suits, especially when the names are
distinctive. 1 have in mind Scotch
mother who gave her boys the names
of her native land, which were woe
full misfits with the surname which
they got from their German father.
Again, high sounding names, such as
Earl or Leroy, are entirely out OF
place with surname like Cluggins,
yet 1 know of combinations just as
bad nor do such names fit all walks
of life.
As for your daughters, Pearl,
Blanche, Lilly, &c., may seem just
right for the baby girl but how do
such names suit woman of forty or
fifty, especially if her lot in life has
not been an easy one, and she is
weighed down with cares? BY all
means let her have a sensible, woman
ly name, and call her by it, for it is
her birthright. If her name is Mary,
do not call her Name, and if it be
Margaret, 1 beg of you do not call
her Maggie. Let Elizabeth be Eliza
beth Beth or Bess If YOU like in the
home, but not Liz. AS for Katha-
rine, Kate will do if short name be
absolutely necessary, but avoid Cad
or Caddy. And as for Wilhelmina.
let her be called by the full name
no one ought to call girl Willie.
Avoid the Edies, Dollies, Flossies,
and other diminutives. Sign your
self by your full name-diminutives
have gone out of style, and pet names
are only for the family circle, and
those nearest and dearest, not for the
outside and business world. If you
call your daughter LOWE, don't allow
others to do so; and teach her it is
not a name to be signed to business
letters or letters to strangers. Above
all things, don'r make up fanciful
name for your daughter; the chances
are that it will be ridiculous, and a
source of annoyance to her all her
life. Observe the same rules as to
combination with the last name that
are mentioned for boys. Consider
we'll before you name your children.
You owe them a good name as much
as you owe them healthy bodies,
sound minds, wise and tender care.