The Name Game

My boss and his partner are having a baby and there, understandably, is a lot of excitement oozing from his office nowadays. On one occasion recently he remarked that he and his partner were not agreeable on what to name the child. I suggested something like Vivian, thinking it would match well with the surname 'Dadge' only to be told that Vivian wasn't on the approved list of names one is allowed to give their child. And, secondly, the child wouldn't have my boss' last name because he's not married to his partner and blah, blah. It just goes to show you how the customs of one country can differ so much from that of another. The fact that you have to name your child from a pre-selected list is amazing to me. A friend of mine tells me that if you want to name your kid a name that is not on the list, you have to explain to the "authorities" why you want that name and you have to prove that that name is a legitimate name in another country. But one thing is firm, you cannot, in any circumstances name your child Jesus, when though in Latin countries it's a legitimate name. (Somehow, I kind of agree with that.) But what is disturbing is that, fundamentally, regulating names is an assault on freedom of expression, don't you think?



And then I found this from the Austrian Times (Sept. 22, 2009): Kids names spell trouble
Teachers brand some pupils dunces because they have non-traditional names, an official survey of primary schools has revealed.Names like Chantal and Maurice are an instant turn off for teachers, says the study by Germany's Oldenberg University.But children with more traditional names like Hannah or Alex will be treated better and thought of as more intelligent, says the survey of 2,000 teachers."If teachers do not believe in the potential of their pupils then the pupils' performances will plummet," said Professor Astrid Kaiser, who led the research.


Hum. I wonder what Condoleezza Rice would say about that.

Alison

10:24 a.m., 21 October 2009