Comments on: Parents: A Warning http://thedigeratipeninsula.org.uk/2004/05/23/parentwarning/ Articles and thoughts by Lee Penney Tue, 27 Mar 2012 19:41:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Mattias Thorslund http://thedigeratipeninsula.org.uk/2004/05/23/parentwarning/comment-page-1/#comment-7 Thu, 16 Sep 2004 18:46:58 +0000 http://localhost/digerati/upgrade/archive/2004/05/23/parentwarning/#comment-7 In some countries (e.g. my native Sweden – I think a Germany also), personal (first and last) names must be approved by the government. This might seem overbearing to some but the idea is that names shouldn’t be offensive or cause embarrassment to the bearer.

Recently rejected names from the Swedish gov’t:

Brunstgnägg (“horny whinny” – sorry): offensive
Anncoccozz: unsuitable spelling or pronounciation (that’s a slippery slope)
Crakel, Krakel, Asterix: names of someone else’s protected works
Lovejoy: a trademark
Donadoni: a well-known foreign last name
Montana: a name that can be mistaken for the name of a post office, railway station or similar, likely to cause confusion

In other countries (e.g. the US), it seems any name goes. Chastity is one of the weirdest names IMO.

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