Judge: You cannot name your baby ‘Nutella’ (France)

nytimes.com ^ | January 26, 2015 | By Yaron Steinbuch

[Morgana]

A French judge spared a baby girl from being named Nutella – changing her name to Ella instead to save her from a lifetime of teasing.

“The name ‘Nutella’ given to the child is the trade name of a spread,” the court ruled, according to a La Voix Du Nord. “And it is contrary to the child’s interest to have a name that can only lead to teasing or disparaging thoughts.”

The parents wanted to name the girl after the popular chocolate spread, but the judge said that the name was not in the interest of the baby girl, who was born in Valenciennes on Sept. 24.

When the couple failed to appear for a November court hearing, the judge ordered the name change.

In France, the registrar checks newborns’ names when birth certificates are registered. If a name is deemed contrary to the child’s interest, the registrar has to notify a prosecutor. A family court can then change the name.

[KC_Lion]

Great Value Hazelnut Spread it is then!

[The_Media_never_lie]

The child was probably not the color of orangejello or lemmonjello.

[sparklite2]

I knew a woman whose mother named her Decca and, yes, it was from the record label.

[moovova]

They could’ve named her Muhammad, no problem.

[Morgana]

“Great Value Hazelnut Spread it is then!”

This whole site is Nuts! ....and I are loving it!

[Morgana]

“They could’ve named her Muhammad, no problem.”

To heck with that, you may not be able to name your baby “Nutella” but you sure can name her “Sharkeisha”

[PieterCasparzen]

And you know the kid’s nickname would have been “Nut”

Ah, good ol' Nutty.

[arthurus]

At least until fairly recently a baby in France had to get a name off an official list.

[arthurus]

The best one ever I encountered wa a child in My wife’s learning disabilities classroom. The boy was, on the birth certificate, Neosynephrine Nyquil (normal last name). His uncle said the mother was still woozy when presented with the form to name the baby and was taken with the sound of names she had seen somewhere. The words were on bottles in her medicine cabinet, I suspect.

[dfwgator]

Life imitates Idiocracy, where everyone was named after a food or beverage.

[PieterCasparzen]

What about those household product names ? I mean, you start with Dawn. Pretty soon you’ve got Palmolive. Next thing it’s “Pantene you clean your room right now ! And leave Pine-Sol alone !”

[Morgana]

LISTERINE® Colgate Cascade Fabreze Borax Cheetos

My fav Fels-Naptha

[Slings and Arrows]

I will name my first child Sharknado. So there.

[null and void]

Sharknado ping!

[Slings and Arrows]

I choose to interpret that as approval.

[null and void]

Indeed!

Enough said!

[latina4dubya]

What about “Seven”?

George has dibs! but i think that girl on Blossom was named Seven... :)

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Poor kid...she’ll forever be stuck with the nickname “Newt.”

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Ma, it wasn’t me what done it. Depends did it.

[latina4dubya]

Life imitates Idiocracy, where everyone was named after a food or beverage.

they call me "little debbie snack cake..."