Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1912-10-03
HOW NAMES ORIGINATE
GREEK AND LATIN SUPPLY MOS,
OF Feminine ONES.
Four Principal Sources for Most q
Given Names Used Among Eng.
disappearing PeopIe-How
Mary Became Popular.

There are four principal sources TO
almost all the given names in us
among English-speaking people-thes
are Latin. Greek, Hebrew and Gel
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 mothe
OF Jesus Christ was, from religious
and superstitious motives, very fire
quently chosen by parents and To-
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.
quently adopted. To this period We
owe the Introduction of Sarah OF
Sara. 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
fondness for choosing names ending
In or la, as Amelia, Letitia, Maria.
Lucida and Alicia, of several of which
there are alternative forms ending in
Q, ie 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
tho reign of Queen Bess. Isabel is
the same name, of which Isabelle,
Ysabel, Isabella are variants; Bess,
Bessie, Bet, Betsy, Betty, Elisa, Elsie,
Lizzie. Liz and Lille being diminu.
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.
or Eve or Eva. Eveline and Evelina
are diminutives.
Joan, Jane, Joanna, of which Janet
Is the diminutive, are feminine forms
OF John; Jean. Jeanne and Jeanette
are the French equivalents. The
Is gift Of God.
Jaqueline, Josepha and Tomasa are
respectively feminine forms of James,
Joseph and Thomas. The name OF
given in the gospel to dis.
tinguish Mary of Magdala from other
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
of 1t. The name Marion
Or Marianne is the result of the com.
of Mary and Anne. Martha
means sorrowful or ruler of the house.
We owe to the two classical Ian.
suages, Greek and Latin, as many
names as to all other sources put to-
sether, about so female given names
'eing traceable to the Greek and
about 70 to the Latin. Several Greek
irst names are taken from flowers,
precious stones and animals. Thus
ihoda Is rose, Phyllis green
'ough and Diantha flower of Jove.
Margaret and its diminutives, Madge,
Maggie, Marcy, means a pearl; Melis.
"a Is a bee and Dorcas a gazelle.
Among the most common Greek
lanes are Dorothea, Dorothy, Helen,
which is the original Of Eleanor
mong the most popular and fashion.
Die names today.-New York World.