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

[John the Gamer]

How about we allow kids to choose a stupid name for their parents once they're old enough(only if the parents picked a stupid name for the kid) and they can't change it back without the kids' consent? That'd learn 'em. (of coarse, a modest number of people have to agree on the stupidity of the kids' name, because else it wouldn't be fair.)

 

[Deadlock Radium]

There's a guy in Norway called

Spoiler: And I know one of the names are wrong.

Julius Andreas Gimli Arn Macgyver Chewbacka Highlander Elessar-Jankov

Yep. That's his name.

Also, there's 5 (I think it was five) people in Norway with the name "Mamma", which means mother or mum.

EDIT: If I remember correctly, I watched a TV program where I got to know that the singer in Coldplay called his son Apple.

YOU DON'T NAME YOUR KID AFTER A FRUIT!

 

[DemonicVixen]

is Kye-Anne funny? =/

 

[The Code]

People naming their children after cars, like Porsche or Mercedes. That bugs the crap out of me, along with giving your kid an obviously African name when no one in your family has been to Africa for two or three generations at the very least!

I'm well aware that my statement is directed mostly at black people, and I apologize for any implied racism. The name thing just irks me to no end, among other things.

 

[Frozen Donkey Wheel2]

My name is Ross. You have no idea how many times someone has jokingly told me to "dress for less", like they're the first jackhole to think of it. Amazingly, I have not murdered a single one of them.

OH, and of course there shouldn't be laws. Then we wouldn't have brilliant names like Ophelia Cox or Ben Dover.[footnote]Yes, I share my sense of humor with grade-school children.[/footnote]

 

[Alien Mole]

Y'know, I be sort of half considering (yes, I could've qualified that more, thank you) 'Goneril(l)' as a middle name for a girl. Quick test: say you meet someone with Gonerill as a (middle) name, how weird would you think that?

At any rate, it's from King Lear, and while that's not my favourite piece of writing by a long shot I did absolutely love the names of Lear's daughters: Gonerill, Regan and Cordelia. Shame that the latter is the only one that doesn't end up betraying him, but eh, a bit of potential foreshadowing is always fun when you're naming your kids. And if you're not allowed to reveal your nature as a literary (censored) when naming your offspring, I'd seriously begin to question what the world's coming to.

As a first name, I actually like Violet - for a girl, but I like my names at least remotely normal, if a little rare. I'd never consider naming my kids something from a game if it weren't a (fairly) common name - it'd just have this wry kind of notion that I may have ruined their life attached to it whenever I call them by their name. Annah or Grace I would go for, Deionnara or Falll-From-Grace I'd not, let alone the Final Fantasy names.

 

[Idiotastic]

No, they shouldn't be forced, via law, to not be able to name their children whatever they want to.

However, I feel that parents who give their children outlandish names should be forced to sign a waiver that reads something along the lines of "I know my child will 99% be made fun of due to their unique name, and with that knowledge I hereby forfeit my right to sue the parents of, ***** at the school of, or otherwise complain about the bullying from said other children."

This.

If you seriously want to name your child something like Moon Unit or Pilot Inspector and don't even think about the consequences,you shouldn't be having children in the first place.

 

[Soviet Steve]

Children are status symbols, not human beings, and thus property. They should be treated in any way the parents find pleasing. It's trendy y'know.

 

[[zonking great]]

Agreed. Some names should be outlawed. I mean, seriously, I know names are supposed to be nouns, but, really. Non proper nouns have no business being names. "Melody" or "Destiny" or ridiculous mix and match names like "Keshawn" or "Shaniqua".

 

[WolfEdge]

Dude when I have a kid I'm naming him a name that will lead him to the greatest of greatness:

Maximillion Battlestaff.

When he's saving the world with nothing but his wang, I'll lean over to the awe-struck pedestrian next to me and whisper, "That's my boy!"

 

[jacx]

although i wish it was seeing as how im a recipiant, its an infringement on the basic rights of man. its also almost impossible to enforce. if it makes you feel better though when you tuen 18 you can change your name... in the states any way

 

[Nigh Invulnerable]

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.

I understood your original point as this: by not giving a kid whatever name you feel like because you're worried they'll be picked on for it you are somehow condoning bullying. Am I correct in my interpretation of your point?

My own thoughts on the matter are simple, you're assuuming that teaching kids to not tease someone who has an odd name will somehow cause them to never think of jokes and such on their own anyway. Kids are not robots who will follow your every teaching without question, no matter how good a parent you think you are. They will inevitably realize that your son Enos has a name that rhymes with penis, and maybe they won't be too cruel to him, but they will laugh and some kid will give little Enos a hard time for the choice you made.

As much as I would also like to say there are too many bad parents who fail to teach their children some social graces and manners, I understand enough about basic human nature to know that kids, being kids, will always find ways to tease other kids no matter what their parents have taught them.

 

[MisterM2402]

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If no one steps up and challenges the status quo, nothing will ever change.

I get what you're saying about bad parenting, but people DO challenge the status quo - I've seen lots of anti-bullying campaigns, but the problem is that they don't target the root of the problem, (as you said) the parents. However, even if parents DO teach their kids the necessary values, kids will still bully other kids. I mean yeah, the majority of people who are brought up well will be fine, but people who are brought up well can still be douchebags (for example, if their parents divorce). Is it not human nature to try and assert dominance over peers? It's just something kids do.

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So your example is sort of equating giving a child an odd sounding name to be an act of procovation? That it is somehow a "hostile" action?

No, I meant the driver speeding down the road is the hostile action. The mother knows that the truck will badly injure/kill her son, yet she still throws him anyway (don't ask me WHY she wants to throw her son, it's just part of the analogy XD). In a perfect world, one without bullies or maniac drivers, she would be fine to throw her son into the road or give him a stupid name.

-

I don't believe that you become emotionally scarred for life by experiencing harassment of bullies. Mainly because I have personally been subjected to it. And I mean really bad shit like constant harassment and even getting beat up by four older boys at the same time.

And that's why (if it were my kid with the funny name) I would jump at every opportunity to show my kid through practical actions right from wrong and not just talk about it. My own period of getting picked on was mostly a psychological war, and I learned tricks to terrorize and make their life just as miserable as they were trying to make mine.

I didn't mean to sound aggressive or anything when I said "correct me if I'm wrong", I was just wanting to make sure I was coming at this from the right angle.

I guess the experience varies from person to person. I'm sure you've heard PLENTY of stories of people committing suicide from bullying - if that isn't being "emotionally scarred", I don't know what is. And just because you can manage to find a way to "put up with it", it doesn't make bullying any less of a bad thing to go through. If you had the option to either choose A. Not be bullied at all or B. Be beaten up by four kids at the same time BUT have someone to talk to about it, I don't see what sane person would choose B. Yeah, you're ok NOW, but at the time it was probably hell. If I had gone through that, but instead they bullied me because of my name, I'd curse my parents for having the selfishness to give me a stupid name just because "they liked it". Now I know, kids can make fun of ANY name, but there is a much higher chance of the them picking on someone with an odd name than someone with a normal name. Why would parents be so selfish? They greatly increase the chances of their kids going through hell, maybe even committing suicide, JUST so they can pick a name they think is "cute". Parents should really put their kids' needs before there own (at least when it counts, such as when choosing a name). Even though the bullies parents are to blame for not raising their kids properly, the victim's parents vanity is also to blame. Just note that I only mean this in relation to choosing an odd name - pretty much every other type of bullying is a totally different situation (any bullying where the factors CAN'T be changed, like having red hair or being intelligent).

Children are status symbols, not human beings, and thus property. They should be treated in any way the parents find pleasing. It's trendy y'know.

Can't agree with you more XD

 

[Unia]

Finnish law on first names (shortened):

1. Every person needs a first name and a last name.
2. Maximum number of first names is 3.
3. The first name may not cause obvious inconvinience to the bearer or be blatantly inappropriate.
4. The fist name of a boy may not be a commonly female name or vice versa.

Of course, after that there's mention of religious, cultural or other reasons that can alter the rule, but it's still better than nothing. Despite this there's apparently at least one man called Tarzan here.

 

[Chibz]

Who sets the rules and who interprets and enforces them? Its a slippery slope.

Naturally, I volunteer for this position. For example "Apple" and "Ocean" would be laws that would get a cactus shoved up your ass, if you named your kid that.

 

[Boris Goodenough]

People naming their children after cars, like Porsche or Mercedes. That bugs the crap out of me, along with giving your kid an obviously African name when no one in your family has been to Africa for two or three generations at the very least!

I'm well aware that my statement is directed mostly at black people, and I apologize for any implied racism. The name thing just irks me to no end, among other things.

Mercedes was a girl' name before the car was ever thought of, and Porsche was a last name before the car was invented.
Just so we get the chronology right.
Also I am glad I live in a country where there are limits to what you can call your child.

 

[Jester00]

In sweden it's acculy illeagal to give your kids names like that and in the rulebook it says that your childrens names must be classed as a real names.

sweden has the best laws of the world. not only because of the name stuff, in general.

my name is a bit weird, not because it's no normal name, but it's kinda old. but thats ok, sometimes people look like "", but when i say "yeah, funny name isn't it", everything's all right.

So... what's your name than, now you got me curious^^

Holger :3

 

[Auron225]

The main issue with that is; who sets the list of acceptable names? I also cringe when I hear of someone naming their child something downright stupid... like Moon Unit -.- But where do we draw the line exactly? And languages makes it all the more difficult as well - If someone moves to another country, meets someone, marries them, yadda yadda, has a kid with said someone and wants to name them a translated version of something native to their old country?

...Its just way too complicated and difficult to regulate really!

 

[Communist partisan]

In sweden it's acculy illeagal to give your kids names like that and in the rulebook it says that your childrens names must be classed as a real names.

sweden has the best laws of the world. not only because of the name stuff, in general.

my name is a bit weird, not because it's no normal name, but it's kinda old. but thats ok, sometimes people look like "", but when i say "yeah, funny name isn't it", everything's all right.

So... what's your name than, now you got me curious^^

Holger :3

Cool, I acculy like it^^

In sweden you can acculy name peapole Westfront or Eastfront and a few other more wierd words but it isn't many that are leagal of those "wierd names"

I am also not getting punched in the face by Godwins law but you can't have the name of a specal very famous dictator whith a small moustage in Sweden.

 

[BiscuitTrouser]

Officer: Sir, I'm afraid I'm placing you under arrest.
Bob: B-but... why? I haven't done anythi-
Officer: You named your son Antidisestablishmentarianism. That's illegal, apparently.

Honestly? The thought's ridiculous. It's subjective, you can't control that sort of thing. That's like telling people that it's illegal to wear blue suede shoes, or that it's illegal to grin more than three CM across.

Besides, you can't actually change your name to something that's an inconvenience to the name-ee. I suppose the same goes with parenting.

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

The government has no right to control what you do TO YOURSELF. How would you feel if your parents had named you "Apple bobbin tissue book bed". You would argue they have every right to do this? That this is fine. That it was a BRILLIANT decision? That the 18 years before you could change it was a good call?

No, thats like glueing purple flourescant blue suede shoes to someone elses feet, that they can't remove for 18 years. Thats what its like.