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!!!

All this catsbummery over names looks a bit wasted when you consider how people change their names for professional reasons, to make them less common. Names like North West and River Phoenix (and mine, though it isn't unique) are highly memorable. Anne Smith may be wonderfully, traditionally British, but it's quite a hindrance if she wants to 'make a name for herself'.

As Meditrina says, there are loads of perfectly good British names that have fallen into disuse for now. I was just looking at the works of Isamabard Kingdom Brunel. Now there's a name to inspire!

Isambard - I did the name an injustice! It means "glittering iron", appropriately.

No, it's a bad idea.

British quirkiness and tolerance of the unusual are good things

The thing is kids tease other kids. It's awful, it shouldn't happen, but it does (not that I would ever let my DD get away with teasing others, just to clarify). If they're not teasing someone about their name it will be about something else.

As much as I really don't think unusual names (they're just not my thing) from my memories of school I can't remember any of the more unusually named children being teased for their names, or at all really-whereas I have a very mainstream name and was bullied all throughout junior school for reasons that still aren't apparent to me. Kids will target anything and it'll do no good to say we'll just eliminate things that could make children a target. The kids would just pick something else.

Also I really don't feel comfortable with the whole 'clear gender' rule either. Ok, personally I wouldn't name a girl Robert but that doesn't mean I think it should be banned. It's like trying to ban boys playing with dolls and girls with cars because it doesn't fit the gender stereotype. It really doesn't matter whether people assume a person is male/female based on their name being written down.

If we were to try and make a list of names that wouldn't involve playground mockery it would be damnably short. I went to school with a 'Dim Jim' and 'Dizzy Lizzy'. My first name didn't get me teased, but my surname was a fertile field for horrid remarks.

As an Atheist, I would not live in a country which gave the Church control over what I named my dc.

I know an Isambard - they have a family tradition of slightly unusual bonkers names for the men. His DW is abit relieved to have had a daughter I think

I bet if you gave us a list of the 7000 names that'd be allowed between us we could find a way to use them as ridicule. If people are nasty enough (or think they are funny, but they're not) they will make ridicule out of anything.

Maybe the focus should be on how wrong it is to ridicule others for any reason.

They have this system in The Netherlands and Belgium. Bonkers names still get through, and it's a PITA for anyone with a non-European heritage, or even for Europeans from other countries where it's common to use a family surname as a middle name, for example.

DH threatened to set up a Wiki-pedia entry and to fake documentation to see if we could get the authorities to agree to us naming DS 'Spitfire'. Not that we intended to - just to see if we could. although in retrospect this would have suited him far better

Very big brotherish idea. I know some people are daft and choose ridiculous names for their children but the majority of people don't so why should everyone be put through this laborious system?

I think its a sensible idea

It isn't fair to children whose parents named them 'Chardonnay' etc

Although, to be fair some traditional names can be stereotypically 'chavvy' so I'm not sure if it would stop ridicule/discrimination. Think Summer, Sienna, Paige, Kayla etc, those would probably get approved still!

No offence to anyone btw, I actually quite like Summer and Sienna its just such a shame they have become popular with some chavvy people, but I would still use them for a pet or something.

As it stands now, the UK govt do have some rules about what you can name your child. You can't name them 'Shit' or 'Cuntface' for example, sigh.... And they have previously intervened to stop someone calling their child 'Adolf Hitler', is this interfering with the parents rights to express themselves????

Although I don't know what would happen if you said 'kuhunnte' for example was a traditional name in your culture

Oh and btw, apparently Peter means fart in French!

'its just such a shame they have become popular with some chavvy people, but I would still use them for a pet or something.'

Fascist lunacy. You want Cameron and his cronies deciding what you call your kids? No thank you.

sqoosh- what is your point?

IWipeArses- Yes, I would if it prevents a baby being named 'CuntFace'

The registrars aren't going to let someone call their child cuntface. If they had then someone could report them to social services and investigate the family. Which would be more appropriate response than some faceless government yahoo deciding that you aren't allowed to spell Amy as Aimee cos is chavvy, or use surnames as first names because its too American.
Baby and bath water, ill thought out and ridiculous idea.

My point? My point is that you sound like a vile little snob.

chavvy people?
did you really just write that?
blimey

FGS,

'vile little snob'- must be 90% of mumsnet then- because there are always threads about names being 'chavvy'

I am allowed to have my own opinion on what I like and don't like and the reasons why

Where do you draw the line?

Mike Hunt is allowed by the registrars

So is Ben Dover, Phil McCracken, Anita Bath- you get the picture, LMFAO!!!!