478 Wi^cothsin Academy of Sciences, Aiis, and Letters. 



smith [poet]. It is owing to countless defunct compounds 

 that Smiths are multitudinous. Baird is a poet, being Scotch 

 for hard. 



All patronymics — or names showing men's fathers, are in a 

 loose sense characteristic. Such are all names ending in son, 

 as Carson, son of Carr ; many that end in s as Hobbs, all that 

 begin A\'ith 3Ic, and some that begin vrith B. Thus, Bolivar is 

 the son of Oliver, and Breese the son of Reese, or Bice. This 

 Welsh word Bhys is of cognate origin with the Latin rex, a king. 

 Characteristic names when given to children betokened quali- 

 ties not always possessed — but attributed hy parental affection, 

 or hoped for. Basmus, contracted from the Greek Erasmus, — 

 in Latin Desiderius — one lonrjed for and hence loved, is identi- 

 cal in significance witli David and Davie in Hebrew (mth 

 Taffy as a variant), and Cary in Irish. A similar feeling led 

 Leah at the birth of her first-1)orn to exclaim, ^'Beuben!" — that 

 is behold a S07i! Wiere primogeniture was law it was common 

 to call the oldest bov Barnes, that is the hairn — the child bv 

 way of eminence as the predestined heir. In astrological eras 

 as the hour of birth was held to have a life-long influence, and 

 those born at dawn were destined to good luck, a lx>y bom then 

 was named Lucius or Lucien, that is, belonging to light, and so 

 of good omen. Hence arose the Latin proverb Nomen omen. 



Barental appreciations — sometimes exaggerations — of babea 

 in the house, are to be credited with such names as Theodore, 

 i, e., gift of God; John and Jones, God's grace, the most per- 

 vasive name in Christendom, leaving no corner of it untouched. 

 On the same lines were fonned ]\Iargaret — a pearl, Bosella — 

 a little rose, Bomanzo — a fairy talc, Anna — condescending, 

 Augustus — dignified, Stevens — crowned, Emil — emulous, Ed- 

 win — a lucky wi7iner, Willard — strong ivill, Elizabeth — de- 

 vout, Delia — chaste from a name of the Grecian Artemis, 

 Gold — the most precious of all metals and as too many 

 think of all things — Stearns — a star, though some interpret it 

 *' stern, from the natural disposition of the first bearer." 



Other names characterize still less flatteringly. Thus the 

 Irish called Cassoday [Cassidy] an accuser or caviler, Jacob as 

 well as its variant James is a heeler, heel-catcher, because the 



