American Language Supplement 2 (102 page)

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

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
Beryl
¹
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.