In Iceland, there’s a committee that greenlights and rejects parents’ options for what they would like to name their children. It’s called the Mannanafnanefnd, and there are only 3 people on it.
According to Business Insider, the committee’s got some serious power: recently, for instance, they vetoed a couple’s suggestion to name their child Cleopatra because “the letter C has no place in the Icelandic alphabet.”
At least 17 countries have laws in place restricting what parents name their children.
In France, for example, a “name registrar” is allowed to reject any name he or she deems not to be in a child’s “best interest” — names like “Nutella” and “Prince-William.”
In Sweden, the name “Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116” (inexplicably pronounced “Albin”) was swiftly rejected, as it could potentially cause “discomfort” to its recipient.
The US has similar laws: California bans marks like the umlaut, and Texas disallows Arabic numerals (i.e., 1, 2, 3).
Numerous studies have shown that a child’s name can impact future success more than one would think.
Research conducted at New York University concluded that people with easier-to-pronounce names often become more successful in the workplace, and a separate 2009 study suggested that uncommon names may actually coincide with juvenile delinquency.
So, don’t go naming your child Blanket or E-Z-Cheeze.