Naming Laws

[girlsteve.livejournal.com]

A recent post got me thinking: how do you guys feel about baby naming laws? Should a couple be free to call their child whatever they want, or are there some circumstances where the government should intervene? If so, what circumstances should those be?

For example, would you legally stop a couple naming their kid:

Adolf Stalin
Derek, if it was girl
Suzanna, if it was a boy
Bluebottle Wasp
Tia Maria
Heavenly Harani Tiger Lily Trixibelle
Shithead (pronounced she-thade, obviously :D)
Lindsay Lohana
Max, if their surname was Power
Nateuhleigh (pronounced Natalie)
Tori-Lou-Kate
Kaye (as opposed to Kay)

That’s as many made up examples as I can find of names that would contravene naming laws in other countries – are they right?

What do you reckon to the German law that makes you chose names from a pre-approved list?

What would your criteria be?

Comments

[christhiane.livejournal.com]

Norway lifted name restrictions only a few years back. Some names were prohibited. You could have an unusual name with a more traditional one, too.

I generally think people should be able to name their kids whatever they want unless it carries really bad connotations or sounds like a bad word or whatever .