enotes a word by which men have agreed to express some idea, or which serves to denote or signify a thing or a subject spoken of. This the grammarians usually call a noun, nomen, though their noun is not of quite so much extent as our name. Seneca (de Beneficiis, lib. ii.) observes, that there are a great number of things which have no name, and which, therefore, we are forced to call by other borrowed names. Iugens est, says he, rerum copia sine nomine, quas cum propriis appellatibibus signare non possumus, alienis accommodatis utimur; which may show why, in the course of this work, we frequently give various senses to the same word.

Names are distinguished into proper and appellative. Proper names are those which represent some individual thing or person, so as to distinguish it from all other things of the same species; as Socrates, which represents a certain philosopher. Appellative or general names are those which signify common ideas, or which are common to several individuals of the same species; as horse, animal, man, oak, and the like. Proper names are either called Christian, as being given at baptism, or surnames; the first being imposed for distinction of persons, answering to the Roman praenomen; the second, for the distinction of families, answering to the nomen of the Romans, and the patronymicum of the Greeks.

Originally every person had but one name, as amongst the Jews, Adam; amongst the Egyptians, Busiris; amongst the Chaldees, Ninus; the Medes, Astyages; the Greeks, Diomedes; the Romans, Romulus; the Gauls, Divitius; the Germans, Ariovistus; the Britons, Cassibelannus; the English, Hengist, &c.; and so of other nations, except the savages of Mount Atlas, whom Pliny and Marcellinus represent as anonymi, or nameless. The Jews gave the name at the circumcision, viz. eight days after the birth; the Romans, to females on the eighth day, to males on the ninth; at which time they held a feast, called nominalia. Since Christianity has obtained, most nations have followed the Jews, baptizing and giving the name on the eighth day after the birth; excepting our English ancestors, who, until recently, baptized and gave the name on the birthday. The first imposition of names was founded on different views, amongst different people; the most common was to mark the good wishes of the parents, or to entitle the children to the good fortune which a happy name seemed to promise. Hence Victor, Castor, Faustus, Statorius, Probus, and the like. Accordingly, we find that such names, by Cicero called bona nomina, and by Tacitus, fausta nomina, were first enrolled and ranged in the Roman musters, because those bearing them were first called to serve at the sacrifices, in the foundation of colonies, &c. And, on the contrary, Livy calls Atreus Umbra, abominandi omnis nomen; whilst Plautus, on occasion of mentioning a person named Lyco, or greedy wolf, says,

Vosmet nunc facite conjecturam ceterum Quid id sit hominis, cui Lyco nomen fiet.

Hence Plato recommends it to men to be careful in giving happy names; and the Pythagoreans taught expressly, that the minds, actions, and successes of men were according to their names, genius, and fate. Thus Panormitan, ex bono nomine oritur bona praesumptio; and the common proverb, Bonum nomen bonum omen; and hence the foundation of the onomomantia. It is an observation deserving attention, says the Abbé Barthélemy, that the greater part of names found in Homer are marks of distinction, and appear to have been given in honour of the qualities most esteemed in the heroic ages. From the word polemos, which signifies war, have been formed Tlepolemus and Archepolemus, the names of two heroes mentioned in the Iliad. The former name signifies able to support, and the latter, able to direct, the labours of war. By adding to the word maché, or battle, certain prepositions and different parts of speech, which modify the sense in a manner always honourable, are composed the names Amphimachus, Antimachus, Promachus, Telemachus. Proceeding in the same way, with the word strength or intrepidity, they formed the names Agapenor, "he who esteems valour," and Agenor, "he who directs it." From thoes, swift, are derived Alca- thoes, Panthoes, Perithoes, &c.; from nous, mind or intelligence, come Astynoe, Arsinoes, Autones; from medes, counsel, Agamemnon, Bumetes, Ixomedes, Thrasybodes; and from chos, glory, Amphicles, Agacles, Iphicles, Patroclus, Cleobulus, and many others. Hence Camden takes it for granted, that the names, in all nations and languages, are significative, and not simple sounds for mere distinction's sake. This holds not only amongst the Jews, Greeks, and Latins, but even amongst the Turks, with whom Abdallah signifies God's servant, Soliman, peaceable, Mahommmed, glorified, &c.; and also amongst the savages of Hispaniola, and throughout America, who, in their languages, name their children Glittering Light, Sun, Bright, Fine Gold, &c.; whilst those of Congo call them by the names of precious stones, flowers, &c. To suppose names given without any meaning, however their signification may be lost by the alteration of language, that learned author thinks is to reproach our ancestors, and that too contrary to the sense of all ancient writers. Porphyry remarks, that the barbarous names, as he calls them, were very emphatical, and very concise; and accordingly it was esteemed a duty to be sagacious, or sui nominis homines. Hence Severus, Probus, and Aurelius, are called sui nominis imperatores. It was the usual way of giving names, to wish the children might discharge their names. Thus, when Gunthera king of France named Clotharius at the font, he said, Crescat puer, et hujus sit nominis executor. The ancient Britons, Camden says, generally took their names from colours, because they painted themselves; but these names are now lost, or remain hid amongst the Welsh. When they were subdued by the Romans, they took Roman names, some of which still remain corrupted; though the greater part became extinct upon the admission of the English Saxons, who introduced the German names, as Crida, Pendda, Oscaed, Edwaed, and the like. The Danes, too, brought with them their names; as Swayne, Harold, Knute, &c. The Normans, at the Conquest, brought in other German names, having originally used the German tongue; such as Robert, William, Richard, Henry, Hugh, &c., in the same manner as the Greek names Aspasius, Boethius, Symmachus, &c. were introduced into Italy upon the division of the empire. After the Conquest, our nation, which had ever been averse to foreign names, as deeming them unlucky, began to take Hebrew names; as Matthew, David, Samson, &c. Camden mentions it as an opinion, that the practice of giving surnames for Christian names first began in the reign of Edward VI. and was observed by such as would be godfathers, when they were more than half fathers; upon which some were persuaded to change their names at confirmation, which seems to have been usual in other countries. Thus, two sons of Henry II. of France, christened Alexander and Hercules, changed them at confirmation into Henry and Francis. In monasteries, the religious assume new names at their admission, to show that they are about to lead a new life, and have renounced the world, their family, and even their name; as, for instance, sister Mary of the Incarnation, brother Henry of the Holy Sacrament, and the like. The popes also changed their names at their exaltation to the pontificate; a custom first introduced by Pope Sergius, whose name till then, as Platin informs us, was Svisne's Snout. But Onuphrius refers it to John XII. or XIII. and at the same time adds a reason for the change different from that of Platin, namely, that it was done in imitation of St Peter and St Paul, who were first called Simon and Saul.

Amongst the ancients, those deified by the heathen consecrations had new names given them; thus, Romulus was called Quirinus; Melicertes, Portunus or Portumus, &c. New names were also given in adoptions, and sometimes by testament. Thus L. Emilius, adopted by Scipio, took the name of Scipio Africanus; and Augustus, who was at first called C. Octavius Thurinus, being adopted by the testament of Julius Cesar into his name and family, took the name of Caius Julius Cesar Octavianus. Names were also changed at enfranchisements into new cities. Thus, Lucumo, on his first being made free of Rome, took the name Lucius Tarquinius Priscus; and slaves, when made free, usually assumed the names of their masters. Those called to the equestrian order, if they had base names, were always new-named, nominibus ingemorum veterumque Romanorum. And amongst the primitive Christians, it was the practice to change the names of the catechumens; thus, the renegade Lucianus, till his baptism, was called Lucius. Towards the middle of the fifteenth century, it was the fancy of the wits and the learned men of the age, particularly in Italy, to change their baptismal names for classical ones; as Sanzarius, for instance, who altered his own plain name of Jacopo to Actius Synecrus. Numbers did the same, and, amongst the rest, Platina the historian at Rome, who, not without a solemn ceremonial, took the name of Callimachus, instead of Philip. Pope Paul II. who reigned about the same time, unluckily chanced to be suspicious, illiterate, and obtuse in comprehension. He had no idea that persons could wish to alter their names unless they had some bad design; and actually scrupled not to employ imprisonment and other violent methods to discover the fancied mystery. On this frivolous pretence, Platina was most cruelly tortured; but he had nothing to confess, and so the pope, after endeavouring in vain to convict him of heresy, sedition, and other crimes, released him after a long imprisonment.