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A touching story and a first name which was therefore accepted by the civil registrar. Because, in France, it is he who controls the first name(s) chosen when declaring the birth. There is no list of authorized first names and parents are free to choose a first name already used or to create a new one provided, however, that they respect certain rules.
The civil registrar can thus alert the public prosecutor if “the first name is contrary to the interests of the child” (in particular if it is ridiculous or rude) but also if it “violates the right of ‘another person to have their surname protected’ or even if ‘the child bears the surname of only one of his parents and has the surname of the other parent as his first name’ (Martin Dupont, for example).
Port and Starboard, Happy and Patrist…
Under these conditions, in recent years, a certain number of first names have been refused. This couple of Breton sailors having decided to call their twins Port and Starboard had to come up with another idea. Same thing for those parents who had chosen Joyful and Patrist for their children. Justice considering, in fact, that these first names were, “because of their whimsical, even ridiculous character, likely to create difficulties and an effective embarrassment for the future life of the child”.
Nutella, MJ (in homage to Michael Jackson), Strawberry, Folavril, Derelict or even Titeuf are also part of these first names challenged by French justice. As well as Grizemann-Mbappé, a first name that in 2018, parents from Brive-la-Gaillarde, in Corrèze, had chosen for their son in tribute to football players. But the world champions have inspired beyond borders and, last January, a little Griezmann-Mbappé was born at the maternity hospital in Copiapo, Chile. He was able to keep this first name.
And elsewhere ?
Because the rules are not the same in all countries. So, know that if your name is Clémentine, Prune or Fleur, you could not have been born in Malaysia. In this Asian country, it is indeed forbidden to give a baby the first name of a flower, a fruit, an animal or an insect, according to the site “Parents” which recently compiled a list of thirty first names banned around the world. To stay on topic, in the Dominican Republic, parents wishing to call their child Querida Pina (literally “Honey Pineapple”) have also been challenged by the authorities.
Among the first names banned on the planet, we also find Rolls Royce and Methadon in the Netherlands, Lucifer in Germany, Mona Lisa and Ovni in Portugal, Messiah and Hitler in the United States or even Rambo and Harry Potter in Mexico, the country in which he is forbidden to call themselves after certain fictional characters.
In New Zealand, there is a list of forbidden first names. Among these, we find all the noble titles: you will therefore not come across a little King, Lord, or Queen in the streets of Wellington. You won’t find Christ, Violence, or even Fish and Chips there either…
In Sweden, parents fond of pataphysics, “the science of imaginary solutions” had chosen to call their son “Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbbiiii6” (which, according to them, was pronounced Albin). After several years of legal proceedings, they had to choose another first name and were fined for abuse of process. Those at little Ikea were also asked to come up with another idea. On the other hand, the little Metallica, she has not changed her first name. After a refusal, the parents had indeed received the support of the administrative court, another person already wearing it as a middle name on the territory.