New Zealand Adds to List of Banned Names

When Shakespeare pondered, “What’s in a name?” in his classic play Romeo and Juliet, he didn’t have to think about controversial names like Adolf or Lucifer, or even more bizarre names like 4real and Superman – these names are all left to governing bodies in New Zealand.

The Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages is adding to the list of names that are banned in the country. Already having banned high-ranking names like Baron, Duke, Judge and Knight, this new ruling may be due to more recent events, in which two boys born in 2008 were named Violence and Number 16 Bus Shelter. Sex Fruit, Fish and Chips, Yeah Detroit and 89 also didn’t make the cut in the eyes of the Registrar.

Also banned in New Zealand are names that are punctuation, such as . (full-stop) and * (asterisk) and single letters such as C, D, I and T. (Interestingly, the names Q and J were allowed after parents petitioned for the right to choose their desired name.)

While these names might seem funny, you have to wonder about the parents’ motivation in seriously contemplating them as valid options for their child. But at the same time, is it right for a governing body to have power over a child’s name? Or should it be the parents’ choice?

Family Court Judge Rob Murfitt, who presided over a case involving  9-year-old Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii (who was so embarrassed by her name that she never shared it with friends), has his opinions.  He says slapping your child with an unusual moniker “makes a fool of the child and sets her up with a social disability and handicap.”

From our perspective, we have to agree – while the name may have significant meaning to the parents, it’s the child who has to live with it, start school with it, apply for a job with it and so forth. It’s wonderful when a child’s name has significant, intimate meaning for the parents, but when choosing a name, it’s important to look to the future as well as the past.

Do you agree?