What's in a Name? - A Complaint From 1894

Think names like Apple are a new trend? Think again.


The Aberdare Times 9th June 1894

STRANGE NAMES.

In a recently published volume on "Church Folk-

Lore," the Rev J E Vaux shows that many stupid

parents are still allowed to make life a burden to

their offspring by afflicting on them absurd, un-

meaning names. For example, if "Christmas Caroll"

- a perfectly competent citizen - were to sign a peti-

tion on any subject, the worthies at the House of

Commons might reject it as unreliable. They would

certainly shy at "Mineral Waters," "Wild Rose,"

"Ether Spray," "Boadicea Basher," "Liberal

Heneage Brown," "Orange Lemmon," "Jubilee

Gosling," and "Only Fancy William Brown." Yet

these are all personages recently added to baptismal

registers, and quite as much entitles to figure on

petitions as anybody else.