# illegal names in Europe?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-names-in-europe/314893
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [July 30, 2005, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-names-in-europe/314893 "2005-07-30T15:58:28Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@beckiemoriello](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beckiemoriello)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2005, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-names-in-europe/314893/1 "2005-07-30T15:58:28Z")
“In Germany and Spain the hospitals won’t allow you to name a baby something that doesn’t already exist. It can be a foreign name, but you have to prove it exists.”
At least, according to the handful of Germans and Spaniards I’ve asked. None of them knew where/if the naming regulations are written down.
Anyone know what the requirements are for a name in Europe?
(Cecil confirmed that we crazy Americans can even name kids nothing:
[http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a980828.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a980828.html) )
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### Author:  [@Mops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mops)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2005, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-names-in-europe/314893/2 "2005-07-30T17:07:32Z")
There are no “European” laws that I have ever heard of; it’s a matter of national law, which obviously varies a lot.
As for Germany, there seems not to be a single statute. The following is what I have gathered from the periodic press reports on court cases:
- hospitals have nothing to do with disputes on naming. Rather it’s a matter between the parents and their municipial registry office (which maintains a register of the town’s inhabitants and registers their births, deaths and marriages). The registry office can refuse to register a name; the parents then can file suit against the town in administrative court (the branch of the court system which deals with public-law suits). What the parents _call_ the child is of course their affair.
- the rules that the courts apply are basically
1. the name must be in use as a personal name _somewhere_ (not necessarily in Germany), i.e. not totally made up. There is an onomastic consultancy at the University of Leipzig that for a small fee issues an expertise on the non-made-upness of a name.
2. the name must not expose the child to ridicule
3. the name must not be misleading as to the child’s sex (i.e. it may be ambiguous, e.g. Andrea for a boy, in which case a nonambiguous additional first name is recommended, but it must not be unambiguously of the wrong sex).
One example that was recently in the press was a B-list celebrity who wanted to name her new boy “San Diego”. Obviously not a name (you don’t get canonized at birth); but the parents got their way by giving him the two first names of “San” (a Turkish boy’s name) and “Diego” (a Spanish boy’s name).
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### Author:  [@Bytegeist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bytegeist)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2005, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-names-in-europe/314893/3 "2005-07-30T17:44:07Z")
> [@tschild](#):
>
> One example that was recently in the press was a B-list celebrity who wanted to name her new boy “San Diego”. Obviously not a name …
Oh come on. Haven’t the German courts heard of Carmen San Diego?
Now where in the world is she?
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### Author:  [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2005, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-names-in-europe/314893/4 "2005-07-30T18:26:28Z")
> [@Bytegeist](#):
>
> Oh come on. Haven’t the German courts heard of Carmen San Diego?
>
> Now where in the world is she?
Apparently, not Germany.
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### Author:  [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2005, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-names-in-europe/314893/5 "2005-07-30T20:56:36Z")
Denmark does have a list of approved names. Here is the list [for boys](http://navneforskning.ku.dk/personnavne.doc/Godkendte_drengenavne.doc) and [for girls](http://navneforskning.ku.dk/personnavne.doc/godkendte_pigenavne.doc/)
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### Author:  [@Bytegeist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bytegeist)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2005, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-names-in-europe/314893/6 "2005-07-30T22:14:29Z")
> [@Mighty\_Girl](#):
>
> Denmark does have a list of approved names. Here is the list [for boys](http://navneforskning.ku.dk/personnavne.doc/Godkendte_drengenavne.doc) and [for girls](http://navneforskning.ku.dk/personnavne.doc/godkendte_pigenavne.doc/)
Why do the cartoon boy and girl on those pages look so miserable? I’ve always pictured Denmark as a happier place.
I mean, they have Legoland and everything. How can anyone living within a morning’s drive of Legoland ever frown?
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### Author:  [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2005, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-names-in-europe/314893/7 "2005-07-30T22:57:13Z")
I’ve also heard you can’t name a German boy Adolf. Is that correct?
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### Author:  [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2005, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-names-in-europe/314893/8 "2005-07-30T22:58:15Z")
> [@Mighty\_Girl](#):
>
> Denmark does have a list of approved names. Here is the list [for boys](http://navneforskning.ku.dk/personnavne.doc/Godkendte_drengenavne.doc) and [for girls](http://navneforskning.ku.dk/personnavne.doc/godkendte_pigenavne.doc/)
And what happens if you want to name your child something other than what’s on the list?
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### Author:  [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2005, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-names-in-europe/314893/9 "2005-07-31T00:03:05Z")
> [@ivylass](#):
>
> And what happens if you want to name your child something other than what’s on the list?
From the [Danish Ministry of Integration](http://www.inm.dk/medborger/medborger/engelsk/0604.html):
> [@](#):
>
> **Only approved first names can be used**
>
> You are not allowed to give your children a first name that could be to their disadvance and expose them to teasing by others. The Danish Ministry of Ecclesiastical Affairs (Kirkeministeriet) has published an official circular listing all the approved names. The list can be downloaded from the Ministry’s homepage.You must apply to the Ministry of Ecclesiastical Affairs (via your parish office) for permission to give your child a name not included in the circular.
>
> Any parent who is or has been a subject of another country is entitled to give his or her child a name that is not approved in Denmark, provided that it is a common first name in the home country of one or both of the parents.
My husband (and now our child too) is Danish. I am not. Subject to the second paragraph we could have named our child Carmen Josefa María de las Mercedes - or some such - 😃 but chose Nadia, which is both common in Latin America and also “legal” in Denmark.
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### Author:  [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2005, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-names-in-europe/314893/10 "2005-07-31T00:05:33Z")
> [@Bytegeist](#):
>
> Why do the cartoon boy and girl on those pages look so miserable? I’ve always pictured Denmark as a happier place.
Actually the most important question is “why is the boy wearing a Carlsberg t-shirt?” 😕
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### Author:  [@lhovis73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lhovis73)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2005, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-names-in-europe/314893/11 "2005-07-31T00:20:49Z")
In Iceland there’s the tradition of naming a kid with the patronymic suffix -son or -dottir (sp?). (the singer Bjork = Bjork Gudmundsdottir) I bring this up because I seem to remember that this tradition is inscribed in Icelandic law, i.e., one has no choice but to name one’s kid in this manner…or so I heard…maybe someone from Iceland can weigh in here…
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### Author:  [@slaphead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slaphead)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2005, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-names-in-europe/314893/12 "2005-07-31T00:25:37Z")
He’s wearing a Carlberg T-Shirt because he can’t get any Tuborg. And that would make anyone unhappy, because Tuborg is much better beer.
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### Author:  [@slaphead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slaphead)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2005, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-names-in-europe/314893/13 "2005-07-31T00:38:42Z")
> [@lhovis73](#):
>
> In Iceland there’s the tradition of naming a kid with the patronymic suffix -son or -dottir (sp?). (the singer Bjork = Bjork Gudmundsdottir) I bring this up because I seem to remember that this tradition is inscribed in Icelandic law, i.e., one has no choice but to name one’s kid in this manner…or so I heard…maybe someone from Iceland can weigh in here…
As in so many things, [wiki can help](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icelandic_name). This is the way names used to work nearly everywere in Europe- you were called after what your parents did (Thatcher, Smith, Baker), were called (Johans-son, Stephen-son) or lived (Wood, Castle, etc). It certainly does seem pretty weird to outsiders though. Bob and Sue have two kids called Jack and Jill. Their names are Jack Bobson and Jill Suedaughter - which would be pretty messy if Bob and Sue divorce and one of them gets custody of both kids :dubious:
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### Author:  [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2005, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-names-in-europe/314893/14 "2005-07-31T01:06:47Z")
> [@](#):
>
> You must apply to the Ministry of Ecclesiastical Affairs (via your parish office) for permission to give your child a name not included in the circular.
Oh. My. God. I cannot wrap my head around the concept of having to get permission from some governmental agency to name your child. It’s so completely foreign to me I’m absolutely flummoxed.
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### Author:  [@rfgdxm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rfgdxm)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2005, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-names-in-europe/314893/15 "2005-07-31T02:05:04Z")
> [@ivylass](#):
>
> I’ve also heard you can’t name a German boy Adolf. Is that correct?
Years ago I had a cat I named Adolphe. After Adolphe Menjou, the actor. Why let one fascist dictator ruin a name? The current cat that owns me is named “Eddy”, after the real name of the singer Janis Ian (which is Janis Eddy Fink.) Good thing about cats is they aren’t particular about names. Just make sure to feed them. 😉
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### Author:  [@Kiminy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiminy)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2005, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-names-in-europe/314893/16 "2005-07-31T02:22:05Z")
The French have typically been very strict about what names can be given a child. Laws were passed during the Revolution that prohibited a parent from giving a child a name that was not on the calendar (referring to the names of saints whose feasts are listed on the official calendar), or otherwise already in common usage.
This has opened up somewhat bit by bit, but only in the last 50 years or so. However, even the most current law regarding legal first names (_prénoms_) still requires all children’s names to be evaluated to make sure that they are not against the child’s best interests. If someone feels that the name the parents have chosen is in bad taste, they can bring it to the attention of a judge, who can then determine if the name is acceptable.
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### Author:  [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2005, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-names-in-europe/314893/17 "2005-07-31T02:26:00Z")
My first name is on the approved name for girls but not on the list for boys, which is somewhat disappointing since I’m male. If I ever emigrate to Finland, I guess they’ll make me change it.
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### Author:  [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2005, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-names-in-europe/314893/18 "2005-07-31T02:32:44Z")
Er…make that Denmark, not Finland. Why the heck did I say Finland?
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### Author:  [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2005, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-names-in-europe/314893/19 "2005-07-31T02:32:52Z")
> [@tschild](#):
>
> 1. the name must not be misleading as to the child’s sex.
Wow, I guess “A Boy Named Sue” would have an even _tougher_ time in Germany!
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### Author:  [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2005, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-names-in-europe/314893/20 "2005-07-31T03:22:07Z")
> [@Kiminy](#):
>
> The French have typically been very strict about what names can be given a child. Laws were passed during the Revolution that prohibited a parent from giving a child a name that was not on the calendar (referring to the names of saints whose feasts are listed on the official calendar), or otherwise already in common usage.
>
> This has opened up somewhat bit by bit, but only in the last 50 years or so. However, even the most current law regarding legal first names (_prénoms_) still requires all children’s names to be evaluated to make sure that they are not against the child’s best interests. If someone feels that the name the parents have chosen is in bad taste, they can bring it to the attention of a judge, who can then determine if the name is acceptable.
Essentially correct. This change occured maybe 10 years ago or less. Basically, before, the registering authority got the final say, and you had to go to the judge to have it overturned (and the judge would normally accept only surnames that were traditionnally used somewhere, or were the name of some famous person from the antiquity, like, say, Pericles, the latter being a remain of the original law passed during the evolutionnary era) and now, it’s the reverse (the registering authority bringing the matter to the attention of a judge, as you mentionned, and him accepting the name by default unless he thinks it could be detrimental for the kid).
I must say that I read a couple times some lists of proposed names rejected and honestly, given the content, I think it’s a good idea to keep this regulation (the most commons of these rejected surmanes are apparently the name of the parent’s favorite celebrity or car, but some are punts, ludicrous or plainly insulting).
A close relative couldn’t have his now teenage daughter named the french equivalent of “apple” (due to some possibility that it could be used of it to make fun of the girl) and even named using a one letter variation of an existing surname (knowing this relative’s short temper, I somehow suspect it could be the result of him irritating the hell out of the civil servant) under the former laws.
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