A naming law restricts the names that parents can legally give to their children, usually to protect the child from being given an offensive or embarrassing name. Many countries around the world have such laws, with most governing the meaning of the name, while some only govern the scripts in which it is written.
In Australia, naming laws are governed by the states and territories which may have differing restrictions.[1][2][3] Most states prohibit names that are too long, include unpronounceable symbols such as!, @ or # (apart from hyphens between names), that include official titles or are otherwise obscene or offensive. In 2017 a list of purportedly prohibited names was leaked from the Victorian register of Births, Deaths and Marriages some examples of which are below:[4]
First names that are uncommon or detrimental to the child's welfare must not be registered. Additionally, at least the first name of the child must correspond to the child's gender.[6]
Azerbaijan
Over 200 names have been proscribed by Azerbaijan as of 2015,[7][8] including "the names of persons who have perpetrated aggression against the people of Azerbaijan" (including names seen as "Armenian"[9][10]) and "names whose meaning is offensive in the Azerbaijani language".[11]
Canada
Naming laws vary from province to province. In British Columbia, the Vital Statistics Act requires the registrar general to reject a proposed name or an amendment to an existing name if the name "might reasonably be expected to cause (i) mistake or confusion, or embarrassment to the child or another person, is sought for an improper purpose, or is, on any other ground, objectionable".[12]
In Imperial China, a naming taboo prevented people from using the same names as the reigning emperor.
Denmark
Under the Law on Personal Names,[13] first names are picked from a list of approved names (18,000 female names and 15,000 male names as of 1 January 2016).[14] One can also apply to Ankestyrelsen for approval of new names, e.g. common first names from other countries. Names cannot have surname character, and must follow Danish orthography (e.g. Cammmilla with three m's is not allowed).[15]
The Names Act of 1985 requires that all Finnish citizens and residents have at least one and at the most four first names. Persons who do not have a first name are obligated to adopt one when they are entered into the Finnish national population database. Parents of new-born children must name their child and inform the population registry within two months of the child's birth. The name may be chosen freely, but it must not be
a name used primarily by persons of the other sex
a name foreign to the naming tradition in Finland
a surname, except a patronymic as last given name
a name already used by a sibling, if this is to be the only given name.
Waivers may be granted if valid family, religious or ethnic reasons give grounds to use a name contrary to these principles. Persons may change their first names once without a specific reason. For subsequent changes, valid reasons must be presented.[16]
France
Since 1993 the choice has been free in France unless it is decided that the name is contrary to the interests of the child. Before that time the choice of first names was dictated by French laws that decreed which names were acceptable.[17]Napoleon Bonaparte created the law.[18]
Germany
Names have to be approved by the local registration office, called Standesamt, which generally consults a list of first names and foreign embassies for foreign names. The name cannot be a last name or a product, and it cannot negatively affect the child. If the name submitted is denied, it can be appealed; otherwise a new name has to be submitted. A fee is charged for each submission.[19]
Umlauts (ä, ö, ü) and/or the letter ß in family names are recognized as an important reason for a name change. (Even just the change of the spelling, e.g. from Müller to Mueller or from Weiß to Weiss, is regarded as name change. In German ID cards and passports, however, such names are spelled in two different ways: the correct way in the non-machine-readable zone of the document [Müller] and transcribed [Mueller] in the machine-readable zone of the document, so persons unfamiliar with German orthography may get the impression that the document is a forgery. German credit cards may use the correct or the transcribed spelling only. It is recommended to use the exactly same spelling in the machine-readable zone of the passport for airline tickets, visas, etc. and to refer to this zone if being asked questions.) Internationally and by many electronic systems, ä / ö / ü are transcribed as ae / oe / ue, and ß is transcribed as ss.
During the Nazi period, Germany had a list of approved names to choose from that was passed on 5 January 1938 as the "Second Regulation under the law re The changing of Family and Given names." The law had one list of names for ethnic Germans and another for Jews.[20]
Hungary
A child's name must be chosen from a list of pre-approved names.[21][22] If the intended name is not on the list, the parents need to apply for approval. Applications are considered by the Research Institute for Linguistics of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences following a set of principles.[23] Children born to a foreign citizen may have their name chosen according to foreign law.[24]
Parents are limited to choosing children's names from the Personal Names Register, which as of 2013 approved 1800 names for each gender.[25] Since 2019 given names are no longer restricted by gender.[26] The Icelandic Naming Committee maintains the list and hears requests for exceptions.
Indonesia
The Ministry of Home Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia Regulation no. 73 of 2022 about Recording of Names on Residence Document regulates naming in Indonesia. The document requires names to be written in the Latin script, not having less than 2 words and not more than 60 characters, including spaces. Names hard to read, have negative meanings and multiple meanings, being abbreviated, using numbers and symbols, and those with academic degrees, are also prohibited.[27]
Converts to Islam may change their name for religious reasons; however, changing Islamic names is prohibited.[28]
A person can request that the component Abd (meaning 'servant') be removed from their name. Additional names may also be omitted on official documents.
According to a law from 1956, a person should have a first name (more than one is permitted) and surname (a double-barrelled name is permitted). Children receive the surname of their married parents or the surname of their father if the surnames of their parents differ one from another. If their parents were not married or have a common-law marriage, children receive the surname of their mother unless both parents agreed to give them a double surname. Names can be double if there was no agreement about it between both parents who at least have a common-law marriage. If the parents do not have a common-law marriage children receive the surname of their mother only.
It is permitted to change one's name or surname once in seven years, or even earlier provided the Ministry of Interior agrees. The Ministry may reject a name or surname if the possibility exists that the name is deceptive or that may be an offence to public policy and the public sentiment.
In the case of adoption a child receives the adoptive parents' surname but keeps the original first name.
In a case of person with no name, the Minister of Interior chooses the name in accordance with names of person's parents, grandparents, or the spouse in the case of marriage. However, the person can change this name within two months of the announcement.
The father's name is provided by the mother of the person until the age of 16, or by the individuals themselves if they are above age 16.[33]
Italy
Names considered ridiculous or shameful are banned by law.[34]
On and after 2006, the National Registration Department of Malaysia (JPN) may decline to register objectionable or undesirable names, including names based on titles, numbers, colors, vegetables, fruits, vulgarities, and equipment. Parents who wish to register such names despite JPN objection must make a statutory declaration to that effect.[39][40]
Under the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act of 1995, names are prohibited which "might cause offence to a reasonable person; or [...] is unreasonably long; or without adequate justification, [...] is, includes, or resembles, an official title or rank."[19][42] This is determined by the Department of Internal Affairs, which is responsible for registering names at birth.[18] The most commonly rejected name is "Justice", which is a formal title for judges in New Zealand.[43] Below is a list of banned names[42][44] in New Zealand:
* [Asterisk]
4Real
89
Anal
Bishop
Constable
H-Q
II
III
Judge
Justice
Justus
King
Knight
Lucifer
Mafia No Fear
Minister
Mr
Prince
Queen Victoria
Royale
Saint
Sex Fruit
Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii
Norway
Names are regulated by the Norwegian Names Act of 2002.[45] Parents may not choose a first name for their child that may become a significant disadvantage for the child. A citizen may change their family name to any common family name, i.e. any name shared by more than 200 Norwegians. In order to change to a rare family name, permission from every citizen with the name is required. Exceptions to the restrictions on taking a protected surname can be made if you have "a connection to the name", for example through kinship (family name held by a parent, step-parent or foster-parent, grandparent, great grandparent or great great grandparent), by marriage, cohabitation where you have lived together for at least two years or have children together, or through adoption.[46]
In April 2009, a six-year-old Norwegian boy named Christer pressed his parents to send a letter to King Harald V to approve his name being changed to "Sonic X". They allowed Christer to write it himself but did not send it until he badgered them further, and the king responded that he could not approve the change because Christer was not eighteen years old.[47][48]
Portugal
Portugal has a set list of names approved and not approved published periodically by the Institute of Registration at the Ministry of Justice.[49]
The older Names Act of 1982 states that Swedish first names "shall not be approved if they can cause offense or can be supposed to cause discomfort for the one using it, or names which for some obvious reason are not suitable as a first name." The newer naming law (Swedish: lag om personnamn) states it identically.[60]
Spain
In Spain, people have freedom to choose any name as long as the name does not make identification confusing, is not the same name as one of their living siblings, and does not offend the person who is named.[61][62]
The authorities of Tajikistan have announced the preparation of a list of 3,000 pre-approved names, all referred to Tajik culture, thus banning Arabic/Islamic names and suffixes, deemed divisive.[63][64]
Among increasingly religious Tajiks, Islamic-Arabic names have become more popular over Tajik names.[65]
The Tajik government has used the word "prostitute" to label hijab wearing women and enforced shaving of beards, in addition to considering the outlawing of Arabic-Islamic names for children and making people use Tajik names.[66][67][68][69][70] Tajikistan President Rakhmon (Rahmon) has said that the Persian epic Shahnameh should be used as a source for names, with his proposed law hinting that Muslim names would be forbidden after his anti hijab and anti beard laws.[71]
United Kingdom
The UK has no law restricting names, but names that contain obscenities, numerals, misleading titles, or are impossible to pronounce are likely to be rejected by the Registering Officer, when registering a child.[72]
There are no restrictions on adults assuming any new name, unless the purpose of the name change is fraudulent.[73]
Restrictions vary by state, and most are imposed for the sake of practicality. For example, several states limit the number of characters in a name, due to limitations in the software used for official record keeping. For similar reasons, some states ban the use of numerals or pictograms. A few states ban the use of obscenities. Conversely, a few states, such as Kentucky, have no naming laws whatsoever. Courts have interpreted the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment as generally supporting the traditional parental right to choose their children's names.
One practice that some have found restrictive was California's practice of not recording names with diacritical marks, such as in the name José. The Office of Vital Records in the California Department of Public Health does not require that names containing other than the 26 alphabetical characters of the English language be accepted. In 2017, the California legislature passed bill AB-82, which would have required the State Registrar to record names containing diacritical marks to be recorded.[74] However, Governor Jerry Brownvetoed the bill on the ground that mandating the use of diacritical marks on some state and local vital records without a corresponding requirement for all state and federal government records would create inconsistencies and require significant state funds to replace or modify existing registration systems.[75]
Zairians were urged to drop their Western or Christian names in favor of Zairian names as part of Authenticité.[76] Zairian dictator Joseph-Désiré Mobutu changed his name to Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu Wa Za Banga (more commonly abbreviated to Mobutu Sese Seko).
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is an international human rights treaty which sets out the civil, political, economic, social, health and cultural rights of children. The convention defines a child as any human being under the age of eighteen, unless the age of majority is attained earlier under national legislation.
Name change is the legal act by a person of adopting a new name different from their current name.
Emomali Rahmon (; born Emomali Sharipovich Rahmonov, Tajik: Эмомалӣ Шарипович Раҳмонов, romanized: Emomalí Šarip Rahmon; ; October 5, 1952, is a Tajik politician who has been serving as 3rd President of Tajikistan since 16 November 1994. Previously he was the Chairman of the Supreme Assembly of Tajikistan, as the de facto head of state from 20 November 1992 to 16 November 1994. Since 18 March 1998, he has also served as the leader of the People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan, which dominates the Parliament of Tajikistan. On 30 September 1999, he was elected vice-president of the UN General Assembly for a one-year term.
Child marriage is a marriage or domestic partnership, formal or informal, between a child and an adult, or between a child and another child.
The cultural setting of Saudi Arabia is greatly influenced by the Arab and Islamic culture. The society is in general deeply religious, conservative, traditional, and family-oriented. Many attitudes and traditions are centuries-old, derived from Arab civilization and Islamic heritage. However, its culture has also been affected by rapid change, as the country was transformed from an impoverished nomadic society into a rich commodity producer in just a few years in the 1970s. This change has also been affected by and the result of a number of factors including the communications revolution and external scholarships. The most recent ruler or king of Saudi is King Salman of Saudi Arabia.
Eastern Slavic naming customs are the traditional way of identifying a person's family name, given name, and patronymic name in East Slavic cultures in Russia and some countries formerly part of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union.
A niqāb or niqaab, also known as a ruband, is a long garment worn by some Muslim women in order to cover their entire body and face, excluding their eyes. It is an interpretation in Islam of the concept of hijab, and is worn in public and in all other places where a woman may encounter non-mahram men. Most prevalent in the Arabian Peninsula, the niqab is a controversial clothing item in many parts of the world, including in some Muslim-majority countries.
Sunni Islam is, by far, the most widely practiced religion in Tajikistan. Sunni Islam of the Hanafi school is the recognized religious tradition of Tajikistan since 2009. According to a 2009 U.S. State Department release, the population of Tajikistan is 98% Muslim,, with some Sufi orders.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Saudi Arabia face repression and discrimination. The government of Saudi Arabia provides no legal protections for LGBT rights. Both male and female same-sex sexual activity is illegal within the country.
A legal name is the name that identifies a person for legal, administrative and other official purposes. A person's legal birth name generally is the name of the person that was given for the purpose of registration of the birth and which then appears on a birth certificate, but may change subsequently. Most jurisdictions require the use of a legal name for all legal and administrative purposes, and some jurisdictions permit or require a name change to be recorded at marriage. The legal name may need to be used on various government issued documents. The term is also used when an individual changes their name, typically after reaching a certain legal age.
Human rights in Tajikistan, a country in Central Asia, have become an issue of international concern. The access to basic human rights remains limited, with corruption in the government and the systematic abuse of the human rights of its citizens slowing down the progress of democratic and social reform in the country.
Human rights in Yemen are seen as problematic. The security forces have been responsible for torture, inhumane treatment and even extrajudicial executions. In recent years there has been some improvement, with the government signing several international human rights treaties, and even appointing a woman, Dr. Wahiba Fara’a, to the role of Minister of the State of Human Rights.
Women's rights in Saudi Arabia is a topic of concern and controversy internationally. Women in Saudi Arabia experience widespread discrimination in Saudi politics, economy and society.
This page examines the dynamics surrounding women in Tajikistan.
Freedom of religion in Tajikistan is provided for in Tajikistan's constitution. The country is secular by law. However, respect for religious freedom has eroded during recent years, creating some areas of concern.
A Turkish name consists of an ad or an isim and a soyadı or soyisim (surname). Turkish names exist in a "full name" format. While there is only one soyadı (surname) in the full name there may be more than one ad. Married women may carry both their maiden and husband's surnames. The soyadı is written as the last element of the full name, after all given names.
Prostitution in Tajikistan is legal, but related activities such as soliciting, procuring and brothel keeping are prohibited. Prostitution has increased within the country since the collapse of the Soviet Union. UNAIDS estimate there are 14,100 female sex workers in Tajikistan. Government official figures for 2015 were 1,777 prostitutes and 194 brothels. Prostitution occurs on the streets and in bars, restaurants, nightclubs and saunas, and HIV prevalence is 3.5% amongst sex workers.
Naming laws in China are based mainly on technical capability rather than the appropriateness of words. Although it is advised for parents to name their children so that others are able to easily read their names, there are no restrictions on the complexity of Chinese characters used, provided that there are no technical issues in doing so. The use of simplified characters is advised over traditional Chinese characters; however, this is not strictly enforced.
The Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) is an intergovernmental counter-terrorist military alliance between 41 member states in the Muslim world, united around the war against the Islamic State and other counter-terrorist activities. Its creation was first announced by Saudi Arabian defence minister Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud, on 15 December 2015. The alliance was to have a joint operations center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Walī is an Arabic word primarily meaning primarily "ally", from whnce other related meanings with Islamic cultural tones derive, such as "ally of God" or "holy man/saint", etc. "Wali" can also mean a "legal guardian", or ruler; someone who has "Wilayah" over somebody else, and in fiqh is often "an authorized agent of the bride in concluding a marriage contract ",
References
↑ Births Deaths and Marriages Victoria. "Naming restrictions". Births Deaths and Marriages Victoria. Victorian Government. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
↑ NSW Government. "Choosing a name". NSW Government. NSW Government. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
↑ Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. "RBDM Prohibited name policy". Publications Portal. Queensland Government. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
↑ Hynning, Clifford J. (March 1944). Germany: Preliminary Compilation of Selected Laws, Decrees, and Regulations: Discriminatory Laws. Washington: Treasuy Department, Office of the General Council. p.E-70.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
