EVERY map-maker who ever put Christmas Island in its rightful position in the Indian Ocean must have wondered how it got its name. But at least there is an answer. In contrast, Hampshire is full of names that have no obvious meanings and their origins have to be teased out of old documents and other sources. There are no prizes for places such as Portsmouth, Hedge End, Freshwater, Weston, and Easton – and Christmas Island, by the way, got its name in 1643, when a captain of the East India Company spotted it on Christmas Day with his telescope. Also, there may be rational explanations for the several houses named Christmas Cottage in the county – at Odiham, Bishop s Sutton and Freefolk – as well as Christmas Hill in South Wonston.