“The names of women,” says the Manu-smriti, the ancient Brahman code of laws, “should be easy to pronounce, not implying anything dreadful, possess a plain meaning, be pleasing and auspicious, end in long vowels, and contain a word of benediction.”4 “Let no man,” it continues in another place, “marry a woman named after a constellation, a tree or a river, nor one bearing the name of a low caste, or of a mountain, nor one named after a bird, a snake or a slave, nor one whose name inspires terror.” Later sages have offered more specific advice. Coleridge declared that every woman’s name should be a trochee – that is, of two syllables, with the accent on the first, e.g., Mary, Alice, Agnes, Ellen. But Gelett Burgess has complained that the trochee suggests “a persistent, hammering force,” and that the iambus, in which the accent is on the second syllable, e.g., Elaine, Jeannette, Louise, suggests “a decisive vigor.” His choice seems to be the dactyl – an accented syllable followed by two without accents, e.g., Emily, Adelaide, Abigail, Isabel —, though he also has a kind word for the anapest – three syllables, with the accent on the last, e.g., Antoinette, Marianne. The former, he says, shows “limp, ragdoll ease” and the latter “is just the thing for sparkle and pep.”1 Another recent professor of the subject, Elsdon C. Smith, contents himself with advocating names embodying “the more sonorous consonants, r, l, m and n, and next to these t, p and d.” He warns against q and the hard g, but says that “the soft e is pretty, as in Evelyn.” A good girls’ name, he concludes, should be easily spelled and pronounced, it should not give ready birth to a disagreeable diminutive, it should be free from unpleasant connotations or associations, and it should not be “so odd or unusual as to evoke constant comment.”2 But I greatly fear that the principal and often only excuse for some of the grotesque names I have listed is precisely that they “evoke constant comment.”
Two fashions in boys’ names have been mentioned – that for diminutives3 and that for mere initials. A third of almost equal oddity converts Junior from an indicator following the surname into a middle-name, e.g., John Junior Jones. In a list of 88 students, male and female, graduated from the Marshall, Mo., High-School in the class of 1946 I find no less than three boys thus named, and in a roster of Army recruits from the same town I find two more. One of the Marshall Juniors applied to the local Circuit Court in 1946 for permission to drop his middle name on the ground that it had “caused him difficulty and confusion.”4 Even when the adjective is in its proper place it is common for an American boy to be called Junior by his family and friends, to distinguish him from his father. In writing, Jr. is in most frequent use in the United States, but in England Jun. seems to be preferred.
The use of 2nd, 3rd, etc. is marked an Americanism by the DAE and traced to 1803. At the start 2nd seemed to have been only a substitute for Jr., but now it often indicates, not the son, but the grandson or nephew of the first bearer of the name. A writer in Putnam’s Monthly in 1855 described it as “common in New England.”1 The use of the Roman numerals, II, III, etc., came much later. It is frowned upon in England as an invasion of royal prerogative, and also by the American Army and Navy, which use only 2d, 3d, etc., in their lists.2 A somewhat unusual form is favored by Edward H. Butler, editor and publisher of the Buffalo Evening News, who describes himself on the masthead of his paper as Edward H. Butler (Son). This recalls the German use of Vater and Sohn, as in Johann Strauss Vater and Johann Strauss Sohn. But the Germans also use dJ. (der Jungere) and d. Ä. (der Ältere). There was a time when Sr. was encountered almost as frequently as Jr., but it seems to be passing out: the old man now evades admitting his age by using his name unadorned.
The invention of new and unearthly boys’ names has not, so far, enlisted all the feverish fancy that has enriched and glorified the American répertoire of girls’ names; nevertheless, it has made notable advances since the turn of the century, and has developed some talented virtuosi. Its lag is probably explicable on the ground that fathers ordinarily have more to say about the naming of their sons than about the naming of their daughters, and oppose masculine Toryism to feminine advanced thinking. My list of revolutionary boys’ names is thus shorter than the foregoing list of girls’ names, and shows fewer genuine prodigies:3
Ace
Adjoil
Airoy
Allieu4
Almouth
Alsex
Amburs
Amel
Amer
Anvil5
Apollo
Aorum
Arben
Arch
Ardis
Arla
Arlando
Armon
Arrow
Arson6
Arville
Ather1
Aud
Audif
Ausby
Austell
Author
Baysul
Bearl2
Belvin
Benjiman
Berlin3
Bernis
Beryl
Billy Dee
Birvin4
Bishop
Blois
Blue5
Bo
Bok6
Brownelle7
Brunis
Bud
Bulas
Bun
Buster
Byard
Cad
Caldeen
Camma
Cara
Carolle
Cash
Ceal
Cellow
Centurlius
Ceola
Champ
Chan
Chastain
Chick
Cho-Wella8
Christo
Clarise
Clarmond
Claudere
Clauzell
Cleodus
Clere
Cletis9
Clevern
Clint
Clodean
Clois10
Cluke
Colonel11
Comma
Commodore
Corne
Coy12
Creed13
Crellon
Cullus
Curilee
Cyclone14
Dalvin
Daymono
Dee15
DeLaine
Delores
DeLoyce16
Del Ray
Dencred
Denver
Deo
Derald
DeRoin
Dewight17
Dial
Dink
Dixie
Doc
Doke
Dolphus
Donaco
Dorcine
Dorotha
Dove
Doyal18
Duane19
Dub
Dude
Earven
Ecton
Edgard
Edysol
Eldo
Eleck
Elesten
Elgne
Eligh
Elmer Dee
Elvan
Elvcyd
Elvis
Elzie20
Emitt
Enel
Era
Errett
Erron
Ersie
Erville
Esco1
Eson
Esther Mae2
Estra
Etci3
Eubert
Euclid
Evern
Evitmus
Ewul
Exton
Fain
Fareign
Faye4
Felmet
Fern
Finace
Finis5
Flake
Flavel
Florns
Foil6
Fonzo
Foy
Frederique
Gareld7
Garl
Gayfree
Gladson8
Glenace
Gl
enneth9
Glore
Gora
Gotha
Gov10
Guyenn
Gwendel
Gyle
Habert
Harce11
Harlinza
Headlee
Hilry
Hollene
Hope
Hoyd
Hozen
Huckleberry12
Hulon
Human13
Idris
Iloath14
Irby15
Irl
Ivy16
Izell
Jamanuel17
Jat
Jaydee
Jewehe
Jimmie Lee
Joeia
Johnathon
Jonie
Jorene
June18
Junian
Kark
Kazan
Keleel
Kennis
Kleo Murl19
Koith20
Komal
Karan21
Laddie
LaFerry
Laron
Lathal
Laurel
Leandrew
Lector
Leeanard
Legnial
Lelis22
Lemial23
LeMon
Lesley24
LeVon
Lig
Lillard
Lilon
Limon25
Loarn
Lodell
Loenial
Loeties
Lonnie26
Loran
Lotus
Lououn
Lovis
Loy
Loyd1
Lum2
Lural
LuReign3
Luvan4
Luvardia
Lynel
Lysle5
Mac
Malene
Manvin
Mariana
Marion
Mavo
Melirn
Merl6
Modrel
Monar
Monk
Monzell
Moose
Mord7
Mosco
Muriel8
Murt
Naith
Nello
Nenzil
Nerton
Nevada
Nias9
Novert
Noyce
Nuel
Nylan
Oadeous
Oarly10
Oby11
Oceail
Occum12
Oceaphus
Ocie
Od13
Odas
Ode
Oder14
Odis15
Odix
O’Henry
Ohmart
Oid
Okey16
Ol
Olander
Oleah
Ollus
Olva
Omae
Onus17
Ophni
Oral18
Oran
Oras
Oravell
Orban
Orbra
Oriel19
Oris
Orlen20
Ormal
Orman
Orpha
Orray
Orsamus
Orv
Osie21
Osman
Othal22
Ottis
Otwa23
Oval
Overy24
Ovid
Ozmay
Ozro
Pallis25
Para
Pasco
Phin
Pink
Pleas26
Poke
Pulis1
Rada
Reo
Quannah
Rephord
Retel
Rofey
Rolla2
Rolen3
Roman
Ronal4
Rowdy5
Royal
Rue
Sank
Satis
Sceva
Semion
Senus
Sestee
Sion
Siro
Solen6
Solomao7
Son
Speaker
Sturgeon
Sugar8
Synn
Tal
Tandy
Tee
Tera9
Terbert
Thaddies
Thaine
Thelbert
Themious
Theoplies10
Theorda11
Thoas
Thrantham
Throniall
Torl
Toxie12
Travois
True
Tye
Uel
Uhlan
Uliey
Une
Ura
Urxula
US13
Usona14
Utis
Valourd
Vanis
Vasso
Vaudie
Veon
Verbilee
Verle15
Vernace
Vernal
Vernet
Veskel
Veston
Vin
Virgle
Virtus
Vital
V-J16
Von
Voyd
Vulon
Wave
Wazell
Whestone17
Wras
Yale
Yick18
Yuvon
Zale
Zay
Zedore
Zee
Zelmer
Zephro
Zeylus
Zine
Zoheth
Zota
Zurr
It will be noted at once that nearly all the categories of girls’ names that we have examined are represented here, though the specimens as a whole are a good deal less rich. In not a few cases, indeed, girls’ names also reappear as boys’ names – a phenomenon certainly not new in the world, as the bisexual use of Evelyn in England, Florence in Ireland and Maria in Latin Europe testifies. It is not uncommon in Oklahoma for a male Dixie or Marion or LaVerne or even Beryl1 to espouse a lady of the same given-name, and in 1941 R. L. Ripley unearthed an Ora Jones married to an Ora Jones. Manuel Prenner has published a study of the names most frequently found in both sexes, e.g., Beverly, Carmen, Carol, Cecil, Cleo, Darryl, Fay, Gail, Hope, Jean, Lee, Leslie, Lynn, Merle Ray, Sidney, Vaughn and Vivian.2 To this list, from my Oklahoma material, may be added Delores, Dorotha, Laurel and Osie.3
Odd spellings seem to be almost as numerous among boys’ names as among those of girls, but whether they are produced by a deficiency in orthographic science or by a sophisticated artfulness is hard to determine. The former may account for Amel (Emil), Byard, Gareld, Hilry, Malcum, Markus and Virgle, but I suspect that the latter is responsible for Benjiman, Eligh, Frederique, Johnathon, Lesley and Seymore. Such bizarre spellings as DeLaine, Del Ray, LaFerry, LeMon and LuReign, so common among girls’ names, seem to be relatively rare. So are the combinations and collision forms, e.g., Jamanuel, Landrew, Edgard, Jimmie Lee and Joela. But the making of new names by changing letters in old ones, e.g., Arlando, Garl, Terbert, Bearl and Urxula, is more frequent. As we have already seen, diminutives are often bestowed at baptism and some of them show novelty, e.g., Chan, Clint, Dolphus, Od, Orv and Ulys, and equally popular are the pet-names, Bo, Bud, Buster, Chick, Dink, Dub, Doc, Laddie, Monk and Rowdy. Names of literal significance, e.g., Cash, Comma, Cyclone, Dude, Human, Moose, Onus, Orange, True and Vital, are often encountered, but those suggesting medical matters, e.g., Cardia, Toxie and Voyd, are not as numerous as among girls. Nor are common given-names with fancy suffixes, e.g., Carolle and Claudere, nor geographical names, e.g., Denver, California and Nevada.4 But the deficit is made up
for by titles, e.g., Colonel, Commodore, Count, Earl, Gov, Speaker; by the popularity of well-worn surnames, especially Clay, Floyd, Wayne, Dwight, Dallas, Lyman, Preston, Harlan and Taylor;1 and by the surviving if gradually diminishing vogue, throughout rural America, for names borrowed from the heroes of Hellenic history and legend. In Oklahoma I have encountered Ovid, Solon, Euclid, Virgil, Apollo and even Deo. As for Homer, it flourishes from Bangor to San Diego.
Nothing here is really new. Paul St. Gaudens has unearthed Sterling and Urian from the Killingly, Conn., records of 1725–40; Irastus, Delor and Ozno from New Hampshire records of 1850–70; Aldace, Milon, Erdix, Royal, Volney, Alvah, Nomus and Sardis from the rolls of Kimball Union Academy at Meriden, N. H., 1834–48; and Noble, Leroy, King, Earl, Lysander, Delbert, Euclid, Romaine, Osro, Hector, and Dolph from various New England account-books of 1850–60. The fame of Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) after his Phi Beta Kappa oration at Harvard in 1837 started a vogue for his middle-name. William Tecumseh Sherman, born in 1813, was not the first American to bear an Indian name,2 nor was Kenesaw Mountain Landis, born in 1866, the first to be named for a battle.3 Geographical names began to be used as given-names in the period of expansion into the West. Wisconsin Illinois and Arizona Dakota were two North Carolina brothers,4 and Lewes Delaware was a Washington physician. In Connecticut, a generation or two ago, there was a politico surnamed Bill whose given-names were Kansas Nebraska. He had brothers named Lecompton Constitution and Emancipation Proclamation,5 and sisters named Louisiana Purchase and Missouri Compromise. Long before their time Governor William H. Gist, of South Carolina, named a son States Rights. This States Rights was graduated from the Harvard Law School in 1852, joined the Confederate Army in 1861, rose to be a brigadier-general, and was killed at the battle of Franklin, Tenn., November 30, 1864.1
American Language Supplement 2 Page 71