Shiho Amster Blog # 12: Should the Government have the Power to Choose What People Name Their Children?
Should the Government have the Power to Choose What People Name Their Children?
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I was scrolling through my news feed when I stumbled across an article revealing Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott's newly announced baby name, Wolf Webster. While I do not think it is the most hideous name, it definitely does sound straight out of a storybook. Celebrities like Micheal Jackson, Kim Kardashian, and even Elon Musk are known for giving their children creative or ridiculous names. Sometimes these are just the names they give out to the public to hide the true identity of their children, but either way I pity these children for the bullying they will likely face.
This made me wonder: are there any limits to what you can name your child? Apparently, there are, and the names vary by country. A standard across most of the world is that you cannot have a symbol in your name. The same goes for numbers and roman numerals. More interesting restrictions; however, are the names "Nutella" in France, "Linda" in Saudi Arabia, "Spinach" in Australia, "Monkey" in Denmark, "Metallica" in Sweden, and "Osama Bin Laden" in Turkey, all which are not allowed in that given country. Many of these names are prohibited by courts to prevent these children from receiving "mockery and disobliging remarks," as well as to respect the culture of that given country of origin.
So, should the government be able to have a say in what people are able to name their children or change their legal name to? I honestly do not have a very strong opinion towards the subject. As someone who is not a huge fan of their name but also does not believe the government deserves the power to limit the names that can be used, I feel like there are good arguments to make on both sides and it really depends on the name that is being restricted. What do you think?
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Hi Shiho! When I was younger, people would often make fun of my last name, which is absolutely ridiculous now that I think about it. Though I do not appreciate the teasing, I still do not believe the government should hold power over what people name their children. Some restrictions could be placed for religious reasons but other than that, I believe the people should have complete freedom over choosing a name for their children.
ReplyDeleteHey Shiho, I've never thought about government restrictions on child names before, but I don't think it should be something that should be enforced immensely. It's really interesting that some parents are willing to name their children such odd names, even knowing that they'll probably get teased for it and feel bad about it. However, I don't think it's fair either if the government is that strict on child naming as that should be a right reserved solely for parents. Nevertheless, I do think it would be beneficial to have some minimal restrictions on what parents can name their child to avoid excessively embarrassing or disparaging names. Children don't have a choice in what their name is, at least for the most part, so it would be unfortunate and unfair if they had to deal with a really embarrassing name they never agreed to.
ReplyDeleteHi Shiho, I feel celebrities can get away with naming their kids' unusual names because their children will most likely be homeschooled and not study in an average public school. That being said, I feel said, their name might affect simple interactions such as introducing themselves or ordering food. That being said people can legally change their names which I guess these celebrity children might do in the future. In my opinion, the government should not have the power to choose names for children; however, governments should be able to restrict certain names that might be controversial and end up endangering the well-being of the child.
ReplyDeleteHi Shiho! You bring up a very interesting topic. Honestly, I believe that the government should have absolutely no say in what a child is named, but it should solely be the parents choice. Well, when we look at what certain celebrities are naming their children, we might think that the government should place some restrictions. But honestly, even if they are named a certain name which they feel doesn't 'suit' them or is just too out of the ordinary for a name, they have the ability to change it when they grow older. Nonetheless, the government should have no say in a newborn's name whatsoever.
ReplyDeleteHi Shiho, I think it comes down to constitutional rights and common sense. From one perspective, no government should be able to dictate what names their citizens are named because there is no real reason like national security, unless the name is truly grotesque. However, when you consider common sense, naming your child "Osama Bin Laden" may be insensitive and unnecessary in the modern world—especially since there are so many names to choose from. I don't understand why Nutella and Metallica are banned though.
ReplyDeleteHi Shiho,
ReplyDeleteI do not believe countries should put restrictions on what type of names people can have. If an individual does not approve of their birth given name, they have the right to change it. If others have derogatory comments for an individual's name, that reflects more on the people who choose to degrade others than on the government's allowing for such a name to be given. If a name disrespects a culture, there is an extremely high chance that it will not be given to a baby. Even if it is, it is a word and has no power over a culture or individuals.
Hi Shiho! This is a very interesting blog topic. Of course, it wouldn't be ideal for a parent to name their child something silly, let alone a racial slur. It would definitely be unfortunate for the child. It's interesting to see countries placing restrictions on specific names, and I personally wouldn't mind certain restrictions given there being so many options.
ReplyDeleteHi Shiho! This is a very interesting topic you bring up, and like you, I honestly can see arguments for both sides. On one hand, I too pity children with (for lack of better words) "mockable" names because of the bullying they might face in the future. On the other hand, the government should not be able to restrict a family from naming a child a certain name. Of course, I understand minor, brand-related restrictions, like "Nutella" or "IKEA" (not that anyone would name their child that), as well as racist/offensive restrictions, like slurs or the names of bad people. But for most names that are not a direct offense to a copyright or do not have a malicious reputation, like "Linda," I do not see a need for government regulation on naming babies.
ReplyDeleteHi Shiho, I think for the most part, people should have the right to name their child without too many restrictions. However, there are certain names that should not be used because they can be cruel or highly offensive. I can see that some of the names you listed could result in a child getting bullied so parents should probably consider the child’s point of view when deciding what to name their children. That kid is, after all, the person who has to live with that name for their entire childhood. At least it is legally allowed for people to change their names as adults, but childhood is still quite a vulnerable time.
ReplyDelete