New Britain herald., 1918-01-05
WHAT'S IN A NAME?
Significant AppeIations. Applied to Men and Women From Time
 ImmemOriaI.
(By James Shepard. )

(By James Shepard.)
 From various published records of births marriages, etc, I have com piled the subjoined list of names, which may be classified as common English words, each significant of Names of this class may be found on record in many of our old New Eng land towns Common English words with slight changes in spelling are often used as Christian names, as for example, divine is changed to Devine; felicity to Filicity, and true man to Truman. But I have omitted from my list all names that consist of mis- spelled words. Eber Merriman of Southington, Conn.,, in 1776, used the word "doctor' as a Christian name for one of his children, because that child was his seventh son. I have, however, omitted this and all other trade or occupation names, because they are so numerous, and further be- cause most of them were originally surnames The Rev. John Devotion preached the election sermon at Hart ford on May 8, TIT. Devotion is a
 
 name but I have omitted it from my list, because I have found no instance of it's use as a Christian name.
 My list could no doubt have been made larger by further research, but I believe that my research has been extensive enough to find nearly, or all of the common names in this class. About half of the names here given may be said to be of rare occurrence, one sixth of them frequent, and one- third of them so common that they may be readily found. AS to some of these names. I cannot determine whether they are masculine or fem1n- inc Many of them might properly be applied to either. In fact l have found that Christian, Comfort, EX- perience, Hope and Obedience, have each been used for both male and fe- male As a general rule, names which signify the finer attributes are applied to the gentler sex. In some cases, two similar words, expressive of the same general idea, are used as names, the one being the feminine of the other, as for example in old war names Victory is the feminine Of Victor.
 Names come to all without giving a be. Surnames were originally applied to adults When some circumstance, condition, trait of character, or the like. gave rise to an appropriate ap- pelation by which individuals became known, and finally these names passed from sire to offspring. Christian names were also originally given to signify some religious sentiment or
 
 When Godly name is bestowed upon an infant, it may prove to be mis- fit, yet may still be said to signify what the fond parents had hoped that their child would become. Chris tian names are now so numerous that the naming of a child is a mere mat ter of selection. Sometimes they are bestowed for a friend or klnSman, not because the parents liked the name, but because they liked the person who had borne it. Originality IS some- times shown in naming children, ana the only conceivable reason for giving some of the names in the following list is a desire on the part or the parents to make use of an odd name. / The subject of names is well treated in Proverbial Philosophy, from which I give a few excerpts: "There be names of high descent, and
 thereby storied honors; Names of fair renoWn, and thereln
 chara cters of merit; But to lend the lowborn noble names
 is to shed upon them ridicule and
 evil.''
 "Yet shall ye find the traders babe
 dignified with sounding titles,