'Twas Ever Thus...

When I was writing my article on Victorian name trends for nameberry.com a month ago, I discussed the use of patriotic appellations and, specifically, Boer War battle-baby-names from 1900 such as Mafeking, Pretoria, Colenso and Bloemfontein.

Since then I have found this contemporary article from The Weekly Standard and Express in 1900 that discusses this very trend. There is also an interesting mention of the popularity of Edna being used in honour of American actress Edna May who became a star in 1898 when the The Belle of New York became a big hit in  London theatre. 

 

WAR BABIES. Queer Names Given by Patriotic Parents   Whats in a name? She whom we call Mary Smith by any other name would smell as sweet.   No doubt she would, but it is hardly likely that this fact would reconcile her to the appellation of Smith prefaced by Rhodesia Pretoria Bloemfontein.   "Rhodesia Pretoria Bloemfontein! I love you! Will you be mine, Rhodesia Pretoria Bloemfontein?" Fancy a poor girl having to listen to her lover struggling out with such a rigmarole when the critical point of proposing comes. Yet this will be the fate of Mary Smiths of twenty years hence, unless their mothers can refrain from falling victims to the latest craze for giving babies names connected with the war.   The numerous bevy of little thirteen-year old Jubilees are already regretting that their mammas were so loyal in 1887, and before the new century has gone very far there will be another band of outraged damsels who will, in their annoyance at finding themselves branded Graspan, Belmont and Glencoe, almost sorry that their papas distinguished themselves in those battles.     A lady who has a husband fighting in South Africa has lately written to "The London Evening News" a letter in which she says:-- "I have just noticed in your paper that one man has named his son Pretoria and another Colenso. I have a baby. We have called him Glencoe-Modder -- as my husband has a friend in the battle of Glencoe, and my brother was at Modder River. When I registered my baby a few days back the registrar told me that they had several already named Glencoe."   Still Glencoe-Modder -- Modder, by the way, means nothing more or less than muddy -- will have the pull of all the other Glencoes by reason of the second barrel to his Christian name. No one else can as yet boast of three or even two South African substitutes for Jack and Tommy. An "Evening News" representative has satisfied himself on this point during a tour among the London registry offices.    At the Holborn office, the registrar told him that Holborn's tally of war names amounted to six. These were distributed among Glencoe, Dundee and Elandslaagte, or rather, Eland, the mythical gentleman from whom the Laagte also took its title.    Hackney was found to have recently had a "Methuen" added to its population, while farther east there were discovered a "Buller," a "Bobs," and a "Baden," supplemented by more "Glencoes."   Apart from the war, "The Belle of New York" has been followed by a lot of little "Ednas," whose parents' admiration of Miss May has led them to call their baby girls after her. It is also worthy of note that among the deserts of Islington there is a youngster rejoicing in the name of Osman Digna, who under the shadow of the "Angel" will perpetuate the memory of the celebrated dervish.     The Weekly Standard and Express  (Blackburn), Saturday, February 03, 1900

So, there you go. When naming a little girl, make sure you consider the "critical point of proposing" and spare her future sweetheart. 

Does anyone else love the journalist's not-so-subtle put down of Modder as being "muddy"?