Posted on 02/04/2013 8:01:20 AM PST by SeekAndFind
A 15-year-old Icelandic girl has won the right to keep her first name, despite it being "unapproved" by the state. Why do some countries restrict baby names?
Parents-to-be often find it hard enough to find a name they both like, let alone one the state might also be in favour of.
Bjork Eidsdottir had no idea when, in naming her newborn girl Blaer 15 years ago, she was breaking the law.
In the eyes of the authorities Blaer, which means "light breeze", was a male name and therefore not approved. It meant that for her entire childhood, Blaer was known simply as "Girl" on official documents.
But Reykjavik District Court ruled on Thursday that it could indeed be a feminine name.
"Finally I'll have the name Blaer in my passport," she said after the ruling.
Several countries - such as Germany, Sweden, China and Japan - also restrict names. Why?
In the case of Iceland, it's about meeting certain rules of grammar and gender, and saving the child from possible embarrassment. Sometimes, although not in every case, officials also insist that it must be possible to write the name in Icelandic.
There is a list of 1,853 female names, and 1,712 male ones, and parents must pick from these lists or seek permission from a special committee.
Similar concerns about child welfare are present in Germany, where a Turkish couple were not allowed to call their baby Osama Bin Laden.
One couple named their baby Berlin after the city in which they met, prompting the registrar to mount an objection. He eventually relented after the family's lawyer pointed out that the courts had allowed the name London.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
Actually, they were sisters, named Ima Hogg and Ura Hogg. And they kept those names.
You’ve got a great sense of humor!
India was actually a well-known name for women in the Victorian era.
It's called civilization. The welfare of individual children was important to us.
Now we can murder the unborn and confiscate the money and jail anyone who calls us a hateful name; but, you can name your kid “butt-boy” if you want to.
It's the slippery slope in action - you're worried about the wrong things - as we slide on down.
I wish you had as well. Years ago, there was a boy in our class named Edgar. Well, we called him Eddie and he got some teasing from time to time. UNTIL we had an oral report about one of our ancestors. He did several ancestors that had all been named Edgar... and they were all fascinating. One died in the Civil War at an early age, another one had died in the Pacific during WWII. He said that in his family, the name Edgar was used in remembrance of some of his family members that died early and didn’t have a long life. After that day, no one teased him about his name because we realized it was an honor. Personally, I like the name Azucena... it is unique.
How about this guy...
Because some countries realize it must be embarrassing to be named ShaQueatha, Urethra, KwaChing, LaBeeah, and Qua’Leasha.....like some ethnics name their kids here in this country
Of course, if Iceland was a black nation, Liberals and Globalists would be praising its Names policies....and calling anyone “racist” if they criticize
Funny! Thanks.
True.
That name was supposedly fairly common in the area of Spain that my family came from to what was then called New Spain-the Americas. All the women I’ve known with the name Azucena (two, besides my aunt) had blonde or light strawberry hair and blue or gray eyes, like my daughter-unusual coloring for someone of mostly hispanic ancestry in North America. It wouldn’t seem to make much sense to name a darker child “white lily”.
Some people from my grandparents’ generation used to name kids the old Native American names from the Aztec and other tribes-like Xochitl etc, but those are a pronunciation nightmare for everyone.
I remember that silliness! :-)
I wanted to name my recent baby Asuncion de Maria, after one of my friends from Mexico, but my husband vetoed it. We’re not, after all, Mexican ... and my aunt Kathleen was happy we remembered her. Her grandchildren have “modern” names!
I rather like that, but I’m hispanic, too. My mom and a couple of her sisters were not into ethnic names, but she named me after a character in a smokin’ hot novel, and one of those aunts named her eldest Salome-so where is the logic in that?
The mother of another of my Mexican friends, Soraida, was named Salome’. It’s in the Gospels ... not just the exotic dancer, but (iirc) the mother of the Apostles James and John.
True-it is indeed, but it isn’t exactly commonly heard, like Ruth, Sarah, Leah, etc. I had a client once named Azeneth-also from the Bible-and I always thought it sounded like some illicit drug-I could almost hear hey, dude-let’s score some azeneth...
I like both names! Asuncion is beautiful but Kathleen is nice as well. All the Kathleens that I know (and for whatever reason... I know quite a few) have all been uber smart and as sweet as honey. Funny how some names of people just demote a great feeling. Now.. the name Susan or any of its derivatives.. not so good for me. Snooty, pompous, arrogant and stupid. I need to meet a nice Susan to break the mold. Hugs, Mom
Our corn snake’s name was Susan. She was a fine pet!
Okay... that is one Susan that was nice. LOL!!! (and she was a snake!).
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