Should it be illegal to give kids stupid/horrendous names?

[BlueGlowstick]

I have an odd name. "Neelie." My parents saw it in the newspaper as a last name, changed the spelling, and made it my first name.

My sister's middle name is Kanon. xD No joke.

My initials are "NO", and my sister's is "BO"... without the middle names.

 

[Kaboose the Moose]

Guys, if you have identified a troll. Don't feed it! It's like trying to sue a prostitute; life clearly sued her and she lost. Just contribute to the topic and discuss with anyone who you see are making logical arguments.

You have yet to illustrate what's so "illogical" about the points I've made, and also yet to display some logic of your own, sweetcakes.

What and lower the IQ of the whole street by arguing with a troll? No thanks, sugar tits.

You have voiced your opinion, I disagreed, you threw a hissy-fit without justifying anything, I ignored your pleas for attention and now you want me back? No sweetness, thats now how it works.

Now if you'll excuse me I've got a cow that needs spanking in farmville. Quote me again if you must but bewarned; you are committing to someone who frankly, doesn't give a damn about what you want or think anymore.

Names have to be approved by a government agency here, and is restricted by law. The law governing first names states: "No name which can cause offence or which can be assumed to lead to discomfort for the person or names which for some other reason obviously are not suited as a name shall be approved as a first name."

Woah, where do they do this? Sounds slightly communistic.

 

[Nyaliva]

Parents giving their children unusual names is fine but there's one rule which seriously should be enforced: No names based on adjectives or objects. Unusual names are all well and good so long as someone hears it and thinks "I've never heard a name like that before." not "That's something you'd find in your backyard! Why would you name your kid, or any living thing for that matter, after that?" For this reason names like Apple or Moon Unit would be outlawed. Apple's not so bad but Moon Unit?! Seriously, I know it makes his name Moon Unit Zappa but come on! That's not a person's name! It's not like your making funny names in your character profile for WOW or something. This is a real person and they'll live through their entire childhood with that name. Do you actually want your kids to stand out and be pointed at? What, having a famous father isn't enough? They've got to have a flaw of their own on which you can blame their social issues rather than their relation to you? And it'd still be your fault anyway. This is why "You can change it later" is never a good excuse, kids are brutal. They'll take the name "moon unit" and use every bit of their imagination to come up with jeers, insults and pranks to put him down and make him feel out of place.

I like unusual or interesting names, that's why I thought it was brilliant that David Bowie named his kid Zowie but I cringed when I found out Jermaine Jackson named his kid Jermajesty. What the hell?! And it was a boy too! As if that kid wasn't gonna grow up with enough of an ego...

 

[DaJoW]

Names have to be approved by a government agency here, and is restricted by law. The law governing first names states: "No name which can cause offence or which can be assumed to lead to discomfort for the person or names which for some other reason obviously are not suited as a name shall be approved as a first name."

Woah, where do they do this? Sounds slightly communistic.

Sweden. They are lenient though, usually rejecting names like "Rutwhinny" (yes, that was submitted), and you can always appeal the decision of course.

 

[CrustyOatmeal]

are we really complaining about how kids grow up with "bad" names? who cares? if a kid gets made fun of for their name it builds character and makes them tougher for when real problems come there way. if a kid truly wishes to change their name they can legally change it when they are 18, they could go before a court to get it changed, or they can charge their parents for child abuse. two of those three options should only be taken for drastic measures like calling your children a number and treating them like slaves but then the whole "name" part of the argument tends to become moot in comparison

if you have cruel parents then i think your name is the least of your worries and if your parents were just trying to be funny or rebellious then you can ask them to get your name legally changed. lets not think that there are parents out there that call their children inappropriate names and then refuse to get them changed and that there is no legal course of action that cant be taken

 

[Mesca]

For this reason names like Apple or Moon Unit would be outlawed. Apple's not so bad but Moon Unit?! Seriously, I know it makes his name Moon Unit Zappa but come on! That's not a person's name!

Come to think of it.. Zappa was a dick when it came to names.

Moon Unit.. that's ok, I guess?
Dweezil.. not a word. Kickass musician, but still, not a word. Sounds like an STD.
Ahmet Emuukha Rodan.. Seriously man? This guy looks like Joe Rogan, he's very much white.
Diva Thin Muffin Pigeen.. Dammit Zappa. That sounds like the title to an Of Montreal song meets Girl Scout cookies,

 

[UberNoodle]

This is a funny stand up about names from Adam Hills:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JstfQ2qufIg

 

[Guitar Gamer]

Eh I don't see why it should be illegal (which would mean there would be at the least a fine and quite frankly I think parenting is restricted enough as it is)

Ideally one of the parents is level headed enough to reject a silly name (unique and quirky names are alright but once you get to a boy named Sue enough is enough) but if not I think the kid should simply have more power to change their legal name.

The amount of exceptions in any nae law would be ridiculious.
Suppose (I mean no offence here) oh...say a russian couple moves to the south of the united states and has a kid there. Dimitri may very well be a totally normal name where they came from and perhaps has special signifigence to them, but what if the kids in some random elementery school in Texas think it is completely weird?

 

[Fuselage]

Well I wanted to be named Max Power or Lance Uppercut.
OT: Oh yeah. Burn the fuckers who make stupid names.

 

[Housebroken Lunatic]

How about if you first learned the definition of misunderstanding, then checked to see if YOU maybe are MISUNDERSTANDING the OP and then get back to me with a NEW and LOGICAL argument and then we'll talk.

No, im pleased with my contribution and thus quite fine thanks. I was just offering you the opportunity to prove that you actually had something of interest to discuss rather than coming up with somewhat inventive insults.

Coz it seems to me that you have a massive stick up your own ass that you can't even see the staggering number (sarcasm for you) of people who are just applauding you and taking your side on this, ludicrous, argument of yours. Clearly, everyone else here is equally butt-hurt about the OP supporting bulling now aren't they?. So either you must be the sole "genius" on this site (if so we are doomed as a species, coz Ive already pegged you for the "Do not procreate under any circumstance" list) thats sees a problem in the OP or maybe you have misunderstood whats going on here.

My, my. If only you were to invest as much energy in some actual substance as you do in nonsense and inventive attempts at insults you might have been more fun to discuss with.

I haven't misunderstood a thing, I have merely taken the OP's own warped sense of logic to it's natural conclusion in regards to the subject matter. The OP didn't take too kindly to that, but I didn't really expect that to happen from the beginning so it doesn't really matter. I've done my part, and im quite satisfied with it. And since you haven't voiced much of a valid criticism other than making the same mistakes as the OP did before you, I see no reason not to be satisifed.

 

[likalaruku]

Okey, just let me look over this list of celebrity kids who are gonna be teased mercilessly in school.

*Peaches Honeyblossom Geldof.
*Fifi Trixibelle Geldof.
*Little Pixie Geldof.
*Prince Michael Jackson.
*Blanket Jackson.
*Chastity Bono.
*Apple Martin.
*Bluebell Madonna Halliwell.
*Denim Lewis.
*Deizel Lewis. (sounds like truck gas).
*Satchel Seamus Allen.
*Pilot Inspektor Lee.
*Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily Hutchens.
*Jazz Domino Strummer.
*Blue Angel Edge.
*Scout LaRue Willis.
*Jermajesty Jackson.
*Moxie Crime Fighter Jillete.
*Daisy Boo Olivier.
*Rocket Rodriguez.
*Racer Rodriguez.
*Kyd Duchovny.
*Zowie Bowie.

THE EXCEPTION:
Kal-El Coppola Cage.

 

[Lem0nade Inlay]

Totally agree.

However there's not much we can do.

Violet? What the fuck man?

Where I'm from, Violet would be considered a bogan (redneck) name, a girl would cop enough shit for that, but if it was a guy?

Oh god.

 

[PrimoThePro]

First, Louis C.K. is my favourite comedian of all time.
Second, Andrew is a normal name. I didn't deal with bullies as a kid, but I hung out with a guy named Yvon. Not necessarily weird, but he was picked on for it. (And that one is pretty normal, at any rate)

 

[fooddood3]

My last name is Biel (Pronounced Beel).
My son shall be Otto Mo Biel.

 

[niceguy191]

It should definitely be illegal. What's to prevent me from naming my child a racial slur or any other foul word? There are laws in place to protect the well-being and development of children and this would naturally follow as an extension to that.

A child with a horrible name will not only be teased at school (yes bullying is wrong, but even if you completely removed every "bully" you will never be able to stop kids of teasing each other and it can get pretty vicious even with the "good" kids) but will be less likely to fit in to a group and make meaningful relationships and bonds. Heck there was even a study done on this. [link]http://www.livescience.com/culture/090128-names-crime.html[/link]

Parents have a responsibility to try and do what will give their children the best chance and one of the very first actions a parent has that will effect the child for the rest of their life is the selection of the name. Some parents abuse that power, and so to protect the children from this (although unintentional) abuse there needs to be a line drawn somewhere.

 

[Nannernade]

Also don't celebrities just look at the closest object when they have a baby and go ah ha that's the name, if I remember right there was a baby named Apple or something like that, who the hell names their kid apple? What's next? Garlic Chicken?

 

[Nannernade]

My last name is Biel (Pronounced Beel).
My son shall be Otto Mo Biel.

You sir... are a genius at word play... I bow to you...

 

[VanityGirl]

Life ain't easy for a boy named Sue.

Should it be illegal? No. That kind of government intervention in the daily lives of its citizens is simply unacceptable under ALL circumstances. And as others have pointed out, changing one's name or going by something else is allowed.

Should it be VERY frowned upon and should you hold your ground if your significant other proposes a truly ridiculous, loony-bin name for your future children? Of course. To me it's a red flag if a girl dreams of saddling kids with "trendy" names because it reveals other things about her personality.

Seconded.

Like the people who named their kid Apple. Really? You're going to name your child after a fruit? If she turns out ugly people are going to ask her if she's rotten.

If you want to give them some stupid name, at least make it a middle name. A first name should be well thought out and be the LEAST damaging to the child.

 

[Dana22]

Okey, just let me look over this list of celebrity kids who are gonna be teased mercilessly in school.

*Moxie Crime Fighter Jillete.

Yeah, but no. Government shouldn't enforce anything like that.