Imagine if you could BUY names, like you can number plates...

[CantFindTheBeat]

Inspired by the numerous threads where someone is sad that someone has 'stolen' their child's name, either before or after they've named it.

What if you could BUY a name, and it was only yours to use? Like a number plate, a domain name or an email address!!!

Could you imagine - what names would be in the millions, and what would the rest of us be left with? Maybe you get public names available for free, then the private school versions?

It could bring a lot of needed revenue to the country - don't rule it out immediately 🤣🤣🤣

(I'm only joking but it's not impossible, is it?)

That bloke called Randy Bumgardener would be the poorest of society presumably

Hmm, yes, @Teatrayderby - I think that name might have been a freebie with child registration!

Mad but fascinating….

it’s only mad really because it’s not how we do it today, so it’s pretty much incomprehensible to consider how it would work. But imagine it had been the way forever, it’d be normal!

imagine the rules ….
if I bought the UK “Jane” but subsequently moved to the USA where the US Jane still lived …. There’d be 2 of us! Or rather, my parents bought the UK Jane??
could you recycle a name after someone dies?
In places like the USA, would this be a state or federal arrangement? Or UK v. Scots law arrangement?!
is Alasdair different from Alistair?! could you buy “Liz” if “Elizabeth” had been sold?

What would you have to pay if you wanted the name Penny?

You absolutely could. Permutations and variants would all be deemed unique names.

When someone dies, their names becomes part of their estate and they may bequeath it to their favourite family member to use on a subsequent favoured child.

Or sell if they can't be arsed!

This is hilarious, love it.

Would there be a quota each year or would you have to wait for the single UK Jane to die before you could have a Jane? Could there be murders for desirable names? Would 'Royal' names be inaccessible to us mere mortals? Would we all have to get more creative in our naming choices because there would be a limit on the number of each name?

Maybe the first name / middle name combo would have to be unique? So you could buy Jane Eleanor, but not Jane Maya because that was taken…

Or would it be like an email address could you say 'hi I'm Jane Jones23'

I think we would definitely have to start adding some numbers to the end.
Or maybe the front, too.