h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Following from Nov 27th NaJo ( http://h2g2.com/entry/A87862350/conversation/view/F22146782/T8315067/page/1/ ) So, the law says that you can name your child whatever you want, unless it may be detrimental to the child's interests. If the birth registrar thinks the chosen name may be ridiculous or otherwise harmful, they take the case to a judge. That doesn't happen very often, so such cases are usually well publicised. Some years ago, Mr and Mrs Renaud decided to name their daughter Megane. Nothing to worry about in itself, except that the Megane Renault had just been released. Legal battle ensued, which the parents won arguing that "eh, car models change regularly anyway, so that particular one won't even be around any more when she starts going to school". Too bad the manufacturer then issued Megane 2, 3, and Megane Scenic... with Megane 4 due next year. This year, a couple wanted to call their child Nutella. The juge suggested Ella might be more appropriate, and the parents eventually agreed. At work, we have a whiteboard where we write the most unusual or strangest names we find. You sometimes wonder if they really love their kids... We've had a Divin-Kevin and a T�r�benthine. The twins named Circoncision and Mariage are considered the all-time best by the team.

That one was supposed to be yesterday's, November 28th.

In the US, anything goes, and it's awful...

But Germans have behaved themselves since the Napoleonic Wars, which saw baby girls named Bluecherine and Gneissenauette. They won't do THAT again...

In the 80s, we has a whole wave of American names all over Europe, probably due to the mass of tv series that were arriving (90210, Dallas, the Young and the Restless...). There were sooo many Dylans and Brendas and Brandons and Pamelas, when the traditional French names were still strong.
Nowadays, it's the traditional names that get you noticed.

*had*

A colleague of mine in Philadelphia used to complain about the imaginative names...such as the baby named Anesthesia by a confused mother...

One day, my colleague came to work angry. On the bus was a mother calling her runaway toddler. 'Come here, Jovan!'

My colleague, disgusted: 'They're raiding the perfume counter now!'

This is not new. My great-grandfather was named Robert Lee + surname. My great-great-grandfather was, of course, in the Confederate Army...

A friend's son had the first name Major, an old family tradition: you see, HIS great-grandfather wanted to name his firstborn after his company commander, but didn't know his first name...

What's fun is starting to teach a child how to write a name that you'd thought only had one spelling, until you see the paperwork a couple weeks later Especially when it turns out that said child knew how to spell it, but that child had such a strong speech impediment (and awful handwriting) that no one realized

I can imagine.