Evening star., 1923-01-21
NAMES FOR GIRLS
And What They Mean.

NEE OF the old-fashioned names for
~ girls that are still quite popular
is Emma 1t has most unusual
meaning given Il, however, for the
best authorities insist that it is lit
orally translated as meaning grand
mother. 1t is claimed TO be vari-
alton Of "amme" the ancient German
for granlmother.{ However, other
authorities prefer to consider this
name as a contraction of Eima, the
word for great" At any rate, the
symbol and sentiment Of Emma moro
than make up for any prosaic mean
ing Of the name. for the first IS the
white rosebud and the second is 81
love you" The original Norman form
Of the name Is Emm or En1r and one
OF the popular dimlnutives for the
name is EN-. Emmy and ,Emeline are
used as diminutiyes for the name in
England. Emmott is another form OF
the name that was much used in early
England. This name has an aston
ishingly prettr lot of variataions.
The Italian is Ermina and the French
Ermin. and Ermine is yet another
European version of the name:
"Erminie" is the name OF a musical
production of the days when musical
comedy was called comic opera. The
musical score for this production is
days of jazz and the revival or
"Erminie" two years ago met with
great success.
The frst royal Emma that history
has ghs sss
Eginhard. a historian of that period
who became quite famous. An anus
ing story concerning this Princess
Emma and her husband indicates that
she must have been of Amazonian
physique, for the tale relates how
she carried her husband every night
on her back to the palace from his
lodgings and return, SO that his foot
prints would not show in the snow
and cause the discovery Of their mar
rtage. Charlemagne did fnd it out.
but was so amazed by his daughters
perseverance and loyalty to her hus-
band that he was generous and gave
Emma was a favorite name among
! the Normans and Richard the Fear
less Of Normany had wife of that
name.
One of the most beautiful Emmas
in art is Emma Hamilton, one Of the
most famous beauties Of the French
revolutionary period. She: was origi-
nally Emma Lyon, of very hum Bile
Hamilton. England's ambassador to
Naples. She was also mitch admired
by Lord Nelson, and her portraits are
| said to be considered as ranking
beauty.
The Nut Brown Maid" the famous
old fifteenth century English ballad.
Is the story Of an Emma and her
Henry. Lady Margaret Percy is cred
tied as being the Inspiration of this
ballad, but the author preferred the
| name of Emma for his heroine. This
is the tale of the wooing of a youth
by a shy but persevering maid, thus
proving that the tactics of the i'm
pulsive. fapper date even beyond the
days OF Priscilla and John Alden for
| their examples Of feminine use OF
direct methods of attack. The hero
Of the ballad coyly tried to dissuade
the nut-brown maid by telling her
in every other stanza that he was a
"banysshed man." but at last he sue
cumbed and admitted: "Thus We won
an cries son, and not a banysshed
man"
Emma is the heroine Of one OF
Jane Austen's best novels. She is
very real character, and Miss Austen
Is at her best in description Of Eng
lish country life in this story OF sim
pie yet highly Individual English folk
of the early nineteenth century.