Naming a newborn is tricky business. There’s a long list of prerequisites the name must pass – not the name of a friend’s dog, not the name of the school bully, doesn’t rhyme with rude words – before you can dub your little bub. And once you and your partner finally decide on a moniker, you then have to make sure the one you’ve chosen is legal. Yes, that’s right, some names are illegal in certain countries or states, an unfortunate predicament a French couple have found themselves in.
A couple from Brittany, France have been hauled into court after they named their daughter Liam. The newborn’s parents were reported to police after submitting the name for their girl after her birth last November.
In Victoria, Australia, parents are banned from naming their kids Baron, the name of President Trump’s son.
According to the prosecution, the baby has been given a name they believe is “contrary to the child’s best interests”. Meaning, the name is “likely to create a risk of gender confusion” that may “harm her in her social relations,” Local reports the prosecutor said.
France is known to be particularly strict on baby naming rules, however it’s believed this particular case has to do with the French being unaccustomed to giving the exact same name to boys and girls.
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Typically, French ‘unisex’ names vary slightly for each gender, for example ‘Jean’ and ‘Jeanne’.
The couple you wish to remain anonymous are hiring a lawyer and will go to trial to fight for the right to call their daughter ‘Liam’. The date of the trial has not yet been set.
