What's in a Name ?
CALL your child " Three Farthings," " Rubbish,' or " Beggar," and the Evil Eye is not likely to be cast on such a worthless creature. So say some of the tribesmen of Northern India, who regard the name as part of the personality. If you must give baby a felicitous name, remember that if a witch learns it she may use it for the purpose of Black Magic ; and for ordinary use add another which nobody may envy.
We in England do not have secret names, but there have been some strange names given to children at different times, and hidden in them there is many a curious tale.
Cunozoa Almsbury was christened on September 8th, 1747, as you may see it recorded in the Winchcombe Parish Register. For there was a farm—and may still be—called " Almsbury," where a baby was left by some vagrants. When some pigs would have attacked it, its life was saved by a dog : hence the name.
" Mahershalalhashbaz " is a name found at Tudely in Kent, as well as at East Dereham, Norfolk. Rumour has it at the latter place that the father wished his boy to be called " Uz," but upon the minister demurring he said immediately : " Then we will have the other," and produced from his pocket a slip bearing the longer name.
A name that would puzzle most people is Protezay. A baby was deserted by her mother and found by a man we will call Smith, by the roadside, who adopted her and spoke of her ever after as his " protegee." His spelling was not so happy as his etymology—hence " Protezay." This person was admitted into the Suffolk County Asylum duly certified as " Protezay Smith."
Some names, indeed, appear to have in them no sense at all. Why a parent with the surname " Waters " should choose to have her daughter christened " Mineral " it is hard to see ; or how certain others could like to call their child " Venus." In the latter case the minister did offer his remonstrances, but he was reminded that the squire's wife bore the name " Diana." A Norfolk clergyman in the 'eighties refused to baptize a boy by the name of " Fixatrix Bandoline."
It was asserted by a certain vicar of Steventon, in Berkshire, that the increased pains taken over his church decorations at festivals could be remarked in the notable increase of floral names given at baptism. " I have baptized," he says, " since April, 1887, three ' Violets,' one ' Lily Rose,' two Lilys,' one ' May,' one ' Ivy,' one ' Daisy ' ; and in 1886 I notice three ' Roses,' and we have two Daisys ' and three ' Mays ' beside in our Sunday School." It is often possible to infer something in the way of dates from an unusual Christian name. If you know that within the same year there are recorded in the registers of Shoreditch Parish Church the baptisms of Troilus Skinner and Coriolanus Hawke, you have even got your own little bit of evidence to contribute when there is a discussion as to the date of the production of Shakespeare's several plays. That year was 1591.. And in 1608 there are recorded in the same registers the baptisms both of Desdemona Bishop and Juliet Burbage.
From the name of Jubilata, christened at St. Mary's, Widnes, you may infer the year of that child's birth for it was 1887, the year of the good Queen's Jubilee. Nor is it more difficult to guess within a little the birthday of Christmas Caroll (christened at St. John the Evangelist, Waterloo Road, in 1892) ; or of Ann Easter Day, christ- ened at Barham, whilst " Easter" was still a common variant of the name " Esther."
But should anyone think that he can conclude some- thing concerning the family or the religion of Virgo Maria, who was presented for baptism at Oxford in 1872, he is probably making a big mistake. The godparents did not know the meaning of the words, but the mother said : " You see, sir, my husband is a gardener, and there is a geranium named ' Virgo Maria,' so we thought it would be a nice name for the little girl."
All children, alas ! have not been so lucky, and such names as " Not-Wanted James," " One-Too-Many " and " That's-it-who'd-have-thought-it " (to be seen in the General Register Office, years 1861, 1870, and 1886 respectively) suggest a desperate thought. Will there ever be a society formed " to prevent cruelty in the
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