Posted on 07/01/2014 8:30:42 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Authorities reluctant to renew passport of Harriet, 10, as name is not on approved list of 3,565
You can be Aagot, Arney or Ásfríður; Baldey, Bebba or Brá. Dögg, Dimmblá, Etna and Eybjört are fine; likewise Frigg, Glódís, Hörn and Ingunn. Jórlaug works OK, as do Obba, Sigurfljóð, Úranía and – should you choose – Vagna.
But you cannot, as a girl in Iceland, be called Harriet.
"The whole situation," said Tristan Cardew, with very British understatement, "is really rather silly."
With his Icelandic wife Kristin, Cardew is appealing against a decision by the National Registry in Reykjavik not to renew their 10-year-old daughter Harriet's passport on the grounds that it does not recognise her first name.
Since the registry does not recognise the name of Harriet's 12-year-old brother Duncan either, the two children have until this year travelled on passports identifying them as Stúlka and Drengur Cardew: Girl and Boy Cardew.
"But this time, the authorities have decided to apply the letter of the law," Cardew, a British-born cook who moved to Iceland 14 years ago, told the Guardian. "And that says no official document will be issued to people who do not bear an approved Icelandic name."
The Cardews could get round Harriet's problem by giving her an Icelandic middle name. Photograph: Tristan Cardew The impasse meant the family, from Kópavogur, risked missing their holiday in France next week until they applied to the British embassy for an emergency UK passport, which should now allow them to leave.
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...
She’s a very pretty girl. Harriet can be improved upon, let me just put it that way.
Great movie.
You mean the name?
Vagna?
Thailand?
Absolutely!
What about Shaniqua or LaTrayvion?
Those sound like Viking names to me.
http://www.nordicnames.de/wiki/Icelandic_Names
I couldn't pass.
So many quotable lines in that movie (as with many Coen Brothers flicks).
Yea because calling her “Dögg” would be so much better for her self esteem.
*SMH*
Cute little girl. Actually Iceland is simply trying to preserve its heritage and culture. I personally don’t think there’s anything wrong with that and it has been that way for a long time. As an immigrant into Iceland, the guy mentioned in the article should have been willing to accept their customs and laws.
Of course, he could have the attitude that some Californians have when they move to neighboring state to escape the hell they helped create in their native state.
As long as Iceland doesn’t go to the UN and force everyone else to get rid of the name Harriet...its none of our problem
Iceland has an unique naming system based on the last name of the father. They want to preserve it
Unlike the leftward push from Liberal Globalists to Balkanize the US and rest of the world...Iceland seems to want none of that. Iceland also does not bail out globalists when they make bad investments, either
I bet that in Iceland you can name your kid Mohammad or Fatima.
(Iceland is way behind their Nordic cousins in national-suicide-by-Muslim-migration, but I believe they have started taking the poison.)
Probably not....Iceland is very tight on immigration. They give work visas to Poles and Eastern Euros to work in some industries, but that is it
You have it backwards. California was fine until people from your states came here and ruined it.
“Vagna”????
How about “Mulva”?
Yes, the name. Harriet herself looks as sweet as pie and as cute as a button.
A rose by any other name would smell as sweet, that’s what he said.
What about Shaniqua or LaTrayvion?
We should ban those names here, in US. Those names just reek govt assistance
There’s a “haddy “ on the list....
sounds like ‘Hattie’, which is close to the nickname for “Harriett”.
There’s a “Dunn” on the list, and a “Gunnar”.
Put them together as first and middle name and you are close....
Dunn Gunnar => dungannr => Duncan.
Isn’t she beautiful?
This doesn’t faze me as news. Laws have been on the books in MANY countries limiting names. Several until recently (or still do) insist the child have a saint’s name (or derivation therefrom). Many have fairly strict laws about names.
When I lived in Europe, people would ask me about what the rules were in America and I’d say, there can’t be any digits (numbers) in the name. I don’t think you can use an actual swear word, either. They were all shocked that our country was that free.
Icelanders express their displeasure by throwing stuff from the kitchen at the pols. Can't remember exactly what...
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