Baby Name Rules...

[bunnsidhe.livejournal.com]

I mentioned in my intro post that I currently live in Scandinavia. In Denmark there is an acceptable list of baby names. This means you are not allowed to name your child a name not on the list without approval (I believe this goes for odd spellings, too). The list has been relaxed somewhat because of immigration of non-Scandinavians into Denmark--but your best bet is to prove the name is significant to your religion or culture. So no Moon Units. Actually, my mother-in-law told me her parents were not allowed to name her sister Mia back around 1960.

Do you think this is a good idea so kids don't end up with cruel names?

Comments

[turabiannights.livejournal.com]

It used to be I'd recoil at the thought of the government monitoring what people named their kids... but ever since Precious, Princess, Messiah, Talon, Cannon, Marquis, Essence, Sincere, Karma, Miracle, Armani and Chanel made the top 1000 in the US... yeah, I think I wouldn't mind a little government monitoring. Restrictions would have to be extremely loose. Family names would have to be 100% okay, even if they were doofy. I'd be fine if they just outlawed suggestive names. Sexana? Ryder? Asslyn? Check. And there should be a list of words that are not okay to name a kid, like they have in Japan. Seven? Um, no. Cutter? Nah. Maison? Mm, no.

Wishful thinking, though. Everyone would get all cranky about it here in the U.S., and someone would probably bribe someone to approve Messiah or Precious.

[bellisima87.livejournal.com]

I live in Germany and here it is the same.
That's why there are no Pilot Inspectors, Fifi Trixibells or Apples in Germany, I guess.

[solyma.livejournal.com]

as stupid as some names can be, i think parents should be able to name their children what they want.

[ashadelic.livejournal.com]

I don't honestly think something like that would ever fly in the US. However, I don't think it would be a bad idea as long as it was well regulated. I mean... some of the names parents make their kids grow up with... it's just cruel and unusual punishment.

Personally, before they start to regulate what to NAME children, they should develop a plan for who should be allowed to HAVE them *grin*

[bunnsidhe.livejournal.com]

I have mixed feelings about it. Yes, I feel I should name my child whatever I want, but the idea is to protect a child from being named Cherry Bomb Crimefighter or something. I can see it both ways.

[mrsduryee.livejournal.com]

I'd say that a rule like that would go against some pretty fundamental freedoms we have here in the US, including the freedom to raise our own children. I don't think the government has any place restricting (unharmful) family practices, whether they are religious, naming, traditional or cultural in nature.

Plus, as Shakespeare pointed out a long time ago, a rose by any other name would smell as sweet...and we are completely free to create our own nicknames, go by our middle names, or even legally change our names, as some in this community (who I am sure have really normal names they just don't like) have done.

[bunnsidhe.livejournal.com]

I know. Do these people actually realize their kids have to live with these names? "Hi, I'm Pilot Inspektor!" (I remember they spelled with a K)

I put this on another post but I don't know where. This is hysterical and supposedly these are real entries at baby name sites:
http://www.notwithoutmyhandbag.com/babynames/index.html

[tigress-oils.livejournal.com]

It's one of the creepiest things I've ever heard of, and I'm pretty far left-leaning and have considered living in Scandinavia (Norway).

I'm sure my favorite names wouldn't be on the list.

[bunnsidhe.livejournal.com]

In Scandinavia it's not meant to restrict freedom--it's meant to protect children (I lived in Sweden where even spanking a child was considered child abuse). It's not a list where you can't name your daughter Madison (it's not strict like it used to be) but you probably would not be able to name your child Pilot Inspektor or Audio Science.
I mentioned in a reply to someone else that I can see it both ways so I also agree with your points. I suppose if your name is horrible enough you could change it. I won't change my name because I don't want to hear my mother. :)

[thunderofsins.livejournal.com]

Thats kinda very scary! Maybe it had good intentions, but no.

If kids end up with "cruel names" they can deal with it till their an adult and then spite their parents by changing their name to the most boring mundane normally spelled name they can think of.

Besides...who is to say what is cruel. I'd hate if it my parents had named me Cherish Grace, but the girl I know with that name loves it. You never know!

[bunnsidhe.livejournal.com]

You probably would be able to. It would have to be really out there. I'm not sure if Norway has it.

[bunnsidhe.livejournal.com]

From an article:

A Danish law, that takes effect on April 1, expands approved lists to include names from the United States, Europe and other countries, and allows parents to apply for unlisted names.

The Swedish parliament has commissioned the government to overhaul its Personal Names Act of 1982.

Spain has several name lists, corresponding to regional languages like Catalan and Basque. Registry offices in Germany have an "International Handbook of Forenames," updated in 2002. Argentina has broadened its lists to accept indigenous names.

Even countries without explicit laws have implicitly acceptable names. U.S. census data shows 757 names cover 75 percent of the nation's 295 million people.

Regulated or not, baby names can hurt, experts say.

"What it does is handicap a kid who has to deal with it," said Albert Mehrabian, a University of California professor emeritus of psychology and author of "Baby Name Report Card: Beneficial and Harmful Baby Names."

Some parents are capable of labours of lunacy. Portugal's reject list includes Ovnis. OVNI is Portuguese for UFO.

Danish authorities nixed Monkey and Lucifer. Mehrabian knows of an American named Latrina.

[bunnsidhe.livejournal.com]

I look it up--yes, Norway has one...or did...they updated it to where as long as it isn't a swear word or an insult or something.

And unless his father is Norwegian (and you marry him before the kid is 18) he won't be Norwegian anyway even if he/she is born there--so you could have the child outside of Norway and name it whatever you want. :)

[ladyartemisa.livejournal.com]

yeah thats how I feel.

eventhough the idea kind of doenst go along with my beliefs, if I see one more person naming their kid UR Hiness I am going to explode.

[bunnsidhe.livejournal.com]

I think people are seeing this as you wouldn't be able to use Madisyn or something. It's more geared toward outrageous names. Cherish is not cruel. Cherry Bomb America is (yes, I actually saw that!).

[bunnsidhe.livejournal.com]

Did someone really name a child that?

[ladyartemisa.livejournal.com]

yes, yes they did.

[bunnsidhe.livejournal.com]

So what's his nickname--Hinie??? My faith in the human race declines everyday.....

[bunnsidhe.livejournal.com]

Your userpic makes me laugh everytime I see it.

I honestly don't care about Denmark's name list because we're moving country anyway. I just found it to be an interesting topic to bring up--I'm intrigued by the reactions. :)

[ladyartemisa.livejournal.com]

it was a her and it was supposed to be lke "Your Highness" but they made it look cool. i dont know what they call her.. its sad though, very sad.

[bunnsidhe.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I really shouldn't talk. I'd like to name a girl Tatiana June (the two names don't "match") and a boy Rory (might even use the Irish spelling) Torbjørn (I know the sibling names don't match and everyone outside of Scandi-Land hates Torbjørn).

But UR Highness is too much for me...and if that kitten in your userpic is named UR Highness, I'm going to die laughing. :)

[lostrocket.livejournal.com]

I partially agree because there are some truly horrible names, and I feel bad for those kids. But I think the big flaw is not everyone agrees on everything that is acceptable or not...for example, I have no problem with Ryder and Seven. I think calling "Ryder" suggestive is a bit more of a stretch than Sexana and Asslyn. Seven's not my style but I think it's cool.

If there were limits, I think they would have to be very very loose, but unfortunately that would lead to problems of interpretation. And culturally I don't think it's a good fit with America...people would start suing the government left and right for the right to name their kid whatever they wanted.

[anapology.livejournal.com]

No! I think that's a silly old fashioned rule.. lists of names, i'd move!
Although i hate stupid spellings/crazy names- i do pity future Kloie's & Ehlerr's- they should be banned! It's just, where do you draw the line between something a little out of the ordinary like Stefani compared to the above names. You can't really.. so i guess you shouldnt have a ban in place.

[anapology.livejournal.com]

This was so funny!
McKaty for a girl, ohhh lord!

[mrsduryee.livejournal.com]

Where can you see this list? I'd be interested to see the "strangest" name on the list

In some places I could see Biblical names going on that list because of "separation of church and state." Some governments want to remove the Bible from society so badly I wouldn't put it past them.