The Spelling of the Name Napier

In response to a suggestion from Prof. W.H. Huggins of Johns Hopkins University, the author wishes to comment on a topic that has interested him for some years. Since we refer to "Napierian logarithms invented by John Napier," it is curious that the base of such logarithms is then named the "neper." In a standardizing action, we should not expect a capricious departure from an existing standard, but this example seems to be just that. It therefore appears to be an historical fact that "John Napier" is the standard spelling of that famous name, so "neper" would seem to be a step backward. The latter is certainly inconsistent with the accepted usage, "Napierian." In his own writing, the author preferred to use the correct spelling, "napier," to designate the base of natural logarithms; he thinkss his family have exercised their prerogative and we should be well advised to join the historians in perpetuating their standard.