NAMING THE INFANT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3894, 12 January 1929, Page 3

NAMING THE INFANT.

Under the heading “Name this Child” the Wellington Post says: If an inspection is made of schoo rolls of the present day much information can be gleaned as to tin; trend of fashion in names. Heroines of well-known novels and cinema stars are leaving their mark on the nomenclature of the rising generation. There are Peaileens and Glorias, not to mention Lora, Susa, Mena, and Norleen. Gone, apparently are the old-fa-shioned names like Lucy, Ellen, Martha, Fanny, and Tillie, although the Duchess of York has put Elizabeth and Betty into favour. There are very few Mauds to come into the garden, and one may well echo “Alice! where art thou?” At the present time it would seem as if Joan is one of the most popular of girls’ names. As far as boys are concerned, the high-sounding aristocratic

names Of twenty or more years ago have almost disappeared. Percival, Reginald, Adolphus, Horace, Claience, and Lionel will hardly figure at all on any school list, good old Saxon names taking their place. One boy in ten in these days seems to be called John or Jack, William, Robert, James all following close on John’s heels, with Harold, Arthur, Fred, George, Thomas, and Alfred following up in the rear. Albert, Richard, Edward, and Charles seem to have gone out of

favour of late. Biblical names arc now quite out of favour. Luke, Matthew, and Mark are names seldom bestowed, and' even Peters and Pauls are not as common as they used to be. To find an Eve, a Sarah, a Rachel, or a Miriam on a school list is uncommon, Ruth, perhaps, being the chief surviving Biblical name for gins with the exception of Mary.