The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1912-07-12
HOW NAMES ORIGINATE
GREEK AND LATIN SUPPLY MOST
OF FEMININE ONES.
Four Principal Sources for Most Of
Given Names Used Among Eng
lsh-Speaking People--hoW
Mary Became Popular.

There are four principal sources. for
almost all the given names in use
among English-speahing people-these
are Latin, Greek, Hebrew and Ger.
man. A very few are OF Saxon, Celtic.
Syriac, Persian or Arabic origin.
When England was Roman Catho.
lie country the name OF the mother
OF Jesus Christ was, from religious
and superstitious motives, very fire.
quently 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 to be Very fire.
quentIy adopted. To this period we
owe the Introduction OF Sarah or
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 pnritans were stepped in Bible
lore and were fond OF taking the
names OF Christian virtues as front
names for girls. az to them we owe
such names as Mercy. Modestv, Grace,
Patience. Prudence. Truth, Virtue.
Faith, Hope and Charity
In Queen Anne's time came In
fondneSs for choosing names ending
In a or ia. as Amelia. Letitia. Maria,
I do Of, - !, icI,
there are alternative forms ending In
g, L. or Y. as Olive, LettIce, Mary.
Lucy, Annie and Alice
Elizabeth which means "conse-
Grated to God IS Hebrew and came
into general use in England during
the reign of Queen Bess Isabel Is
the same name, Of which isabelle
Ysabe. Isabella are variants; Bess.
Bessie, Bet. Betsy, Betty. Elisa, Elsie
Lizzie. Liz and Lille being diminn-
tives
Other Hebrew names In less com
mon use are Abigail, Deborah and
Dinah, Pleasure as the significance Of
Edna, and Eve. the mother of all,
means life
OF Eve or Eva. Fveline and Evelina
are dtminntives
loan. Jane Joanna, OF which jane
is the diminutire. are feminine forms
OF John Jean, Jeanne and Jeanette
are the French equivalents The
meaning Is gift OF God.
Jaaaelise Josepha and Tomasa are
respectively feminine forms of James.
JOSEPH and Thomas The name OF
Magdalene. given in the gospel to dis
tinguish Mary OF Magdala from other
Mars, appears In French as Made
line, the shortened form Of which Is
Maud
Maria has two meanings bitter and
star OF the sea Marion is the
French form Of this and May Is
dtminutiye OF it, The name Marion
or Marianne Is the result of the com
binatiou OF Mary and Anne Martha
means sorrowful or ruler Of the house
We owe to the Two classical Ian
guages, Greek and Latin. as many
names as 10 all other sources put to-
gether. about 30 female given names
being traeeable to the Greek and
about 70 to the Lat,n. Several Greek
first names are taken from flowers.
precious stones anG animals Thus
Rhoda is rose, Phyllis green
bough and Diantha flower OF Jove
Margaret and It's diGninutives. Madge.
Maggie Marcy, means pearl: Melis-
ga Is bee and Dorcas d gazele
Among the most common Greek
names are Dorothea, Dorothy, Helen
which is the original of Eleanor
among the most popular and fashion
able names today-New York World