Do we need baby names to be government approved?

[Notsoyummymummy1]

This was a discussion on daytime tv and i wondered what fellow mumsnetters think. In Denmark they have strict laws to protect children from being saddled with stupid names. Parents can choose from a list of 7,000 pre-approved names and if you want to name your child something that isn't on the list, you have to get special permission from your local church, and the name is then reviewed by governmental officials. The law states that girls and boys must have names that indicate their gender, you can't use a last name as a first name and unusual names may be rejected.

The panel on the show didn't like the idea but am I the only one who thinks it's sensible? 7000 names is plenty to choose from and there's always scope to get names approved if they're not stupid. It protects children from being humiliated by their parents and with children being called names like Google and Popeye, we can't trust every parent to pick a name for their child that isn't going to make them look stupid!!!

[5madthings]

No we don't and its a draft idea, how on earth would they choose which names are ok?

[5madthings]

Daft idea.

[Notsoyummymummy1]

So you think parents should be allowed to inflict names on children that will make them vulnerable to ridicule?

[FairyArmadillo]

No. And as the previous poster said- who decides on these approved names?

[5madthings]

How do decide what names will make the, ridiculed?

If people want to they cam change their name and once at school they ams their friemds often choose nicknames anyway.

Names evolve,go in and out of fashion, what is fine now may not be in 50 years ams vice versa.

[5madthings]

Hope its not mnet masses, poor ds4 would be doomed..

[Pantone363]

I'd like a version of this. Maybe more than 7000. The most registered 10000? With permission to add a name that's not ludicrous.

I feel sorry for some of the kids in DCs school and the names they've been saddled with.

[exexpat]

I think it's a crazy idea in an increasingly multicultural society - would there be exceptions for children with family roots in other countries? what about if they only had one non-British parent or grandparent? Rules like these are already being challenged in countries which do have them (recent case in Iceland, for example). What's wrong with gender neutral names - should we rename all Rowans and Robins and so on? As for things like the church having first approval rights - no thanks.

But fundamentally, I think the key point - that unusual names are stupid or automatically make life difficult for children - is just wrong. My DD's name would probably not be on the list, even though it has been used by my family for generations, and everyone who hears it says what a lovely name it is.

Children who have ridiculous names often end up being called something else day to day anyway, and are free to change their names when they are older (see lots of popstar offspring).

[elQuintoConyo]

There was something like this in Spain until fairly recently. Ridiculous idea, even if it does result in batshit names.

[edam]

It would be lovely if registrars could stop parents calling their little darlings Feebee or Waynetta but most countries that have had controls have relaxed them. I think France used to insist on saint's names but has had to give up - imagine the outrage if someone tried to stop a baby being called Mohammed...

Daft names aren't just a lower-class thing, btw, look at Nigel Lawson and his daughters Nigella and Thomasina...

[frutilla]

It's awful having a name list and having your freedom removed. I live in Argentina and we have one here. It took me months to get my son's name approved, and I was only naming him after my own father! My father meanwhile got sick and I didn't get to see him in time before he passed away as the passport was delayed due to the crazy name issue.

[SaggyOldClothCatPuss]

In Scotland, Last names as Christian names is very common.
Possibly an approved list of spellings, but an actual list of names, definitely not!

[5madthings]

Oh fruit thats crap :(

Wasnt thereva case in france of a couple wanting to name their son zebedee and it wasnt allowed? I know two zebedees, one in primary school known as zeb and one in high school who goes by zebedee, neither have had any issues yet if you suggested it on mnet you would be told not to use it no doubt.

[garlicnutty]

This is like those model villages & estates, where there are bye-laws about what colours you can paint your house & what you may plant in your garden. It's thoroughly rational, but just so ... stultifying. Let people express themselves!

I have a --silly- uncommon name. It's not the end of the bloody world. At least people remember you!

[othersideofchannel]

Terrible idea! Names continue to evolve and all names are 'made up'. Also spellings can change over time. Perhaps Feebee may once be the more popular spelling of the rather 'illogical' spelling of Phoebe? Let people and nature take its course!

[Radiator1234]

I think in France it might be like this. It's to prevent you from calling your kid "Superman" (eg).

[vikinglights]

there are 'rules' in norway but they are pretty relaxed. you don't have to choose from pre approved names but a name can be rejected if it is deemed innapropriate. Until recently place names were also not allowed for first names. I know of one concrete case where a mother was not allowed to name her child the name of a brand of cigarettes.....

foreign names aren't a problem, unless for example they happen to be a swear word in norwegian or something

Its not exactly like the mumsnet massive deciding on what is or isnt OK

[insancerre]

awful idea

[Numberlock]

Yes I'd much rather the government spent time and resource on this.

[meditrina]

This morning's thread called 'Unknown' is also about his.

As I posted there: New Zealand has a much nicer approach. They have no prescriptive list of "yes yeses"; instead guidelines (eg nothing profane) and a list of "no-noes". The list is periodically updated (last time May 2013: mercifully 'Anal' is now on the banned list).

There's no way a multicultural society can have a prescriptive approved list. Especially as so many names slated in isolation as 'creative' spellings turn out to be the normal one elsewhere on the globe.

7,000 wouldn't be anywhere near enough - in 2011 there were about 6,000 boys names registered in UK. And some common names which are definitely names, just deeply unfashionable to present, aren't on there at all.

[PatriciaHolm]

We do have a small amount of restrictions in the UK. British registrars can refuse to register a name in exceptional cases (if it were offensive, for example)

If you are changing your name by deed poll, it can't be offensive, be unpronounceable, contain numbers/symbols/punctuation marks (other than hyphen or apostrophe), and must include a forename and surname.

[squoosh]

Absolutely ridiculous idea. I don't want to live in such a heavily policed state thanks all the same.

In reality very few people give their kids truly crazy names, I think this idea smacks of xenophobia. You're welcome to our country, but only as long as you blend in and try to be just like us.

[farmersdaughter]

Friends in Switzerland have just had DC2, you need to give then a a potential name when you arrive at the hospital.

Can you image being mid contraction and having to agree a name! Nightmare

[SandraClegane]

Meditrina I was also thinking of the NZ system. You read every now and again which names they rejected. I think something like that would make sense here - no prescriptive list, just more opportunity to stop stupid ignorant parents to make a pun with their child's name (like North West- I know that's US, but it's just a joke; not a name!!).