NAME. Camden supposes that the names formerly given'to persons were significative of some qualities or virtues theypossessed, or their parents fondly hoped they might acquire,and that to imagine names were given without any meaningwould be a reproach to our ancestors : accordingly, we findthat Adam gave the name of Eve to his wife, because she wasto be the mother of all mankind ; and Porphyry remarks thatthe names of the ancients were very emphatical and concise.

Originally every person had but one name, which, by mostnations, was given within a few days after the birth; but inorder to prevent the multiplication of names, and to mark thedistinction between people bearing the same name, it soonbecame necessary to add to it the name of the father, andhence the introduction of family or surnames: thus among theHebrews Caleb is distinguished as the son of Jephthunah, aridJoshua as the son of Nun ; and among the Greeks, Achilles asthe son of Peleus . The first trace of surnames in history,unconnected with relationship, occurs in the treaty betweenthe Romans and Sabines, whereby, in order to consolidate theunion between the two nations, it was stipulated that the Ro-mans should add to their own names a Sabine name, and the