# Baby naming laws in Europe....
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-naming-laws-in-europe/325190
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [October 7, 2005, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-naming-laws-in-europe/325190 "2005-10-07T14:28:22Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@gitfiddle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gitfiddle)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2005, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-naming-laws-in-europe/325190/1 "2005-10-07T14:28:22Z")
I’ve had a couple of my European friends tell me, but I want to get it straight in English. I’ve been told several times (in French) from French, Swedish, and German friends that a baby’s name has to approved by the government before the baby can actual be named. Is that true?
Coming from a country where someone can name all of his sons George or a woman can name her daughter Female (that could be an urban legend), that just seems bizarre to me.
In fact, are there any naming laws in the US?
Just curious…as usual…
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2005, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-naming-laws-in-europe/325190/2 "2005-10-07T14:31:40Z")
AFAIK there are no such laws on the books in the US. I can’t see how they would be allowed by the populace. Of course, every time a “celebrity” has a kid, I kind of wish there \*\*were \*\* such laws here. But yes, they do exist in other countries, ostensibly to “protect” the child from embarassment and shame.
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### Author:  [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2005, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-naming-laws-in-europe/325190/3 "2005-10-07T14:40:50Z")
There was a big thread about this recently: [illegal names in Europe?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=327985)
In a nutshell, some European countries have laws that may prevent parents from giving their child a name that “may expose the child to ridicule”, or a completely invented name, etc.
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### Author:  [@kellner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kellner)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2005, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-naming-laws-in-europe/325190/4 "2005-10-07T14:44:18Z")
At least in Germany, it is true. I know that there are similar regulations in other European countries, but I don’t know any details.
[ul]
[li]The name must be recognizable as a given name. In practice this is a bit fuzzy because foreign names are allowed even if practically nobody here knows them.[/li][li]The name must identify the gender correctly. If neccessary, add additional unambiguous names.[/li][li]The name my not be harmful to the child in any other way e.g. expose it to ridicule.[/li][/ul]
And, no, this doesn’t bother us.
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### Author:  [@gum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gum)
#### Post date: [October 7, 2005, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-naming-laws-in-europe/325190/5 "2005-10-07T20:39:59Z")
> [@kellner](#):
>
> At least in Germany, it is true. I know that there are similar regulations in other European countries, but I don’t know any details.
> [ul]
> [li]The name must be recognizable as a given name. In practice this is a bit fuzzy because foreign names are allowed even if practically nobody here knows them.[/li][li]The name must identify the gender correctly. If neccessary, add additional unambiguous names.[/li][li]The name my not be harmful to the child in any other way e.g. expose it to ridicule.[/li][/ul]
> And, no, this doesn’t bother us.
Ditto to **kellner** in the Netherlands.
We had a Morrocon/Dutch couple wanting to name their baby-girl ‘Jihad’.
For once, our government didn’t rule in favor of the parents.
I’m so glad for the girl.
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### Author:  [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)
#### Post date: [October 8, 2005, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-naming-laws-in-europe/325190/6 "2005-10-08T02:08:55Z")
From a reader comment included along with a straight dope article
[http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a980828.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a980828.html)
> [@](#):
>
> Dear Cecil:
> …
> You will be fascinated to know that here in La Belle Province (Quebec), we have a section of the civil code dealing with this exact topic. Unlike the rest of Canada, which uses the English common law system, Quebec uses a Napoleonic Code-inspired civil code. Under the section “Assignment of Names,” section 54, it says: “Where the name chosen by the father and mother contains an odd compound surname or odd given names which invite ridicule or which may discredit the child, the registrar of civil status may suggest to the parents that they change the child’s name. If they refuse to do so, the registrar has authority to bring the dispute with the parents before the court and demand the assignment to the child of the surname of one of his parents or of two given names in common use, as the case may be.”