Banned Baby Names Show Government Has No Sense of Humor
Would you consider naming your child Princess or Justice? Lucifer or Christ? Mafia No Fear or (ahem) Anal? If so, don't move to New Zealand. Those names are all included on a just-released list of names that have been banned over the last decade by the New Zealand Internal Affairs Department.
Other names that won't fly in New Zealand? Emperor, King, Bishop, Queen Victoria, Messiah, V8, 89, and the symbols * and /. Good thing Prince didn't try to move Down Under during his unpronounceable symbol phase! Though actually, come to think of it, the name Prince wouldn't pass legal muster in New Zealand, either.
Why?
Well, it turns out New Zealand has a few strict rules: For one thing, names cannot be a title that has not been earned (Princess, King, Bishop ... Prince). For another thing, they cannot be clearly offensive to the general public (ah, that's where Anal's parents when wrong). They also can't be more than 100 characters long (though I counted and the name Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii, which a New Zealand family court took action against, doesn't exceed that limit -- maybe it was deemed offensive?). Oh, and the names must be actual words, comprised of actual letters -- not numbers or symbols.
Details, details. Don't these people have any sense of humor? In fact, they may. The New Zealand Internal Affairs powers-that-be apparently let Number 16 Bus Shelter slip through, and saw nothing wrong with the monikers Benson and Hedges, Violence, or Midnight Chardonnay.
I have to admit. Number 16 Bus Shelter has a certain ring to it. Plus, it really captures the imagination. Do you suppose that's where the baby (A boy? A girl? Perhaps called "Number" for short? Or just "No."?) was conceived? (Remember how Victoria and David Beckham named their first child Brooklyn because he was conceived in New York, but they felt the name "Manhattan" was a bit too much?) It seems entirely possible.
Employing the place-of-conception technique, I might have named my first-born Costa Rica and my second Astoria. Those aren't such bad names, come to think of it -- and I don't see anything there for New Zealand to object to.
What do you think of New Zealand refusing to allow parents to name their kids Princess and Justice and ... Anal?
Image via kaatjevervoort/Flickr
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manderspanders
I generally don't think that state/government should interfere with these types of things; but sometimes someone has to speak for those who can't speak for themselves.
Giving kids names like that is just bad parenting from the get go.
evensmum
Absolutely have to agree with manderspanders! And that was fun to type, btw. :)
Kristi
TorranceMom
Mrs.Morgan
I don't think they should interfere but I also dont think those should be options I hate the fact that people name their kids Princess ughh gag
parentalrights1
Names like "princess" are more associated with a pets name or cheesy girly-ness but I don't think that should outlawed. And you also can't "earn" being a princess so it's kind of silly to outlaw it too.
What ever happened to having our own opinions? People should be allowed to name their kids what they want within reason. I understand outlawing things like "anal". There's no reason a parent would lovingly bestow that name on their kid unless there's some other culture where anal is a valid name lol.
Melissa042807
Maybe the government shouldn't interfere, but maybe parents shouldn't try to make their own bizarre statement with their child's name. Make your statement at your own expense. Don't foist it upon a newborn.
KailaCheyenne
Paigesmommy78
really i dont feel the government should have any say in that kinda thing but yeah i kinda do agree with one
ashja
I you think this policy wouldn't be a good idea here, just watch ANY single episode of Toddlers and Tiaras.....
P.S. save your indignation, PonyChaser, it's a joke!