Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan have been at the receiving end for naming their son Taimur also the name of a Mongolian conqueror. Perhaps the star couple can take cues from these global baby-naming laws, just as bizarre as the outrage over the youngest Nawab.
MEXICO: Banned names Hermione, Rambo, Escroto
(Actor Sylvestor Stallone as Rambo)
Harry Potter fans in Mexico cannot, by law, name their kid Hermione, which is one of the many names banned in the country. A law passed in Sonora, Mexico, explicitly bans 61 first names that are either considered derogatory, lacking in meaning, or mockable. Authorities say the objective is to protect children from being bullied because of their name, but they give no explanations as to how these names are derogatory.
ARGENTINA: Banned name Messi
(Lionel Messi)
In Rossario, the hometown of soccer star Lionel Messi, his feats are inspirational, but his name, strictly not. According to the law, parents are not allowed to name their kids Messi. This law was passed after a man named his son after the footballer's last name. Since then, to avoid the influx of requests for naming kids Messi, the government banned it. After all, there can only be one Messi.
SWEDEN: Banned names Elvis, Metallica, Ikea
(An album cover featuring the singer Elvis Presley)
Elvis has left the building, and Sweden's National Tax Board doesn't want him back, well at least as a name for babies. First names that could cause offence to others or discomfort for the one using it are banned in this Scandinavian country. In fact, new parents must submit the proposed name of their child within three months of birth to the Swedish Tax Agency and could face fines for failing to register a name.
DENMARK: Banned names Monkey, Pluto, Anus
Denmark's very strict Law on Personal Names is in place to protect children from having odd names. So, parents must choose from 7,000 pre-approved names only. If you want to name your child something that isn't on the list, you have to get special permission from your local church, and the name is then reviewed by governmental officials. Creative spellings of more common names are often rejected.
ICELAND: Banned names Enrique, Duncan
(Singer Enrique Iglesias)
Parents in Iceland must submit their child's name to the National Registry within six months of birth.About half of the names submitted get rejected for violating Iceland's strict naming requirements, mainly because their spellings are not found in the local language. Names containing the letters C or Q (not a part of the language) are hence, usually banned.
Thoughts? Do you know more such bizarre rules from around the world?