Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1912-07-18
HOW NAMES ORIGINATE
GREEK AND LATIN SUPPLY MOST
OF FEMININE ONES
Four Principal Sources fer Most OF
Given Nance Used Among Eng ?
IIsh-spesking Peopte-How
Mary Became Popular


There are four principal sources for
almost ali the given names In use
among English-speaking people-these
ara Latin. Greek. Hebrew and Ger
man. A very few are of Saxon. Celtic.
Syriac. Persian or Arabic origin.
When England was a Roman Catho-
lie country the name OF the mother
OF Jesus Christ was. from religious
and superstiuous motives. very ire
ouently chosen by parents and for
centuries Mary was the most COM
mon female Christian name In Eng /
land
After the Reformation the Increased
familiarity with the scriptures caused
the names of the characters OF the
# old Testament history 90 be very ire
ouentiy adopted. To this period we
owe the Introduction OF Sarah or
f sara. a Princess. and Hannah, grace.
The latter has many derivatives, such
as Ann. Anne. Annie. Anna, Annette,
Nanette. nan. Nancy, Nance and Net
tie
The Puritans were STEPPED in Bible
lore and were fond OF taking the
names OF Christian virtues as front
names for girls, as TO them we owe
such names as Mercy. MOdesty, Grace.
Patience. Prudence. Truth, Virtue
Faith. Hope and Charity.
In Queen Anne's time came In a
J fondness for choosing names ending
} In a or ia. as Amelia, Letitia- Maria
} Lucida and Alicia. of several OF which
b there are alternative forms ending In
a q. ie or Y. as Olive. Letuce, Mary
n Lucy. Annie and Alice.
= Elizabeth. which means "conse
Y Grated to Cod" IS Hebrew and came
Y into general use in England during
U the roien OF Queen Bess. Isabel Is
% the same name, OF which Isabelle
I'd Ysabel. Isabella are variants; Cess
ID Bessie. Bet. Betsy. Betty. Elisa. Elsie
10 Lizzie. Liz and Lille being diminu
- tives.
III Other Hebrew names IN less CON
mon use are Abigail. Deborah an
Il Dinah. Pleasure as the significance G
Edna. and Eve. the mother Of al
means life.
OF Eve OF Eva. Eveline and Evelin
W are diminutives.
% Joan. Jane. Joanna, Of which Jane
IS is the diminut.ve. are feminine form
90 Of John: Jean. Jeanne and Jeanneti
a. are the French equivalents II
~ meaning IS gift OF God.
70 Jaqueline, Josepha and Tomasa al
= respectively feminine forms OF Jane
~ Joseph and Thomas. The name
w AEagdaiene. given IN the gospel TO d.
% tinguish Mary Of Magdaia from 9th
so Marys. appears IN French as Mad
IS line. the shortened form Of which
90 Maud.
90 Maria has two meanings, bitter a
~ star OF the sea. Marion IS
~ French form OF this and May IS
" diminntive OF t. The name Mari
OO or Marianne IS the result OF the co
w bination Of Mary and Anne Mart
VI means eorrowful or ruler OF the hou
90 We owe 70 the two classical j
IS euages. Greek and Latin. as ma
50 names as 20 all other sources put
, "a gether. about so female given nan
:, being traceable 10 the Greek
90 about 20 90 the Latin. Several Or
- first names are taken from fow'
? " precious stones and animals N
Z 81 Rhoda IS a rose, Phyllis a gr
w bough and Diantha flower Of u
S 90 Margaret and It's diminutives. Mad
5 % Maggie. Marcy. means pearl; 81
o Sd sa is a bee and\ Dorcas gaz'
< 90 Among the most common 81
K "a names are Dorothea, Dorothy, he
~ which is the original of Elean'
- among the most popular and fash
= " able names today.-New York W.