What's In A Name, Part III
Newspapers and Web sites with an "off beat news" section have been blowing up over this story in Sweden, where parents Michael and Karolina Tamaro are fighting to name their six-month old girl Metallica.
To me, the most notable part of the story isn't that the parents wanted to name their child Metallica - there are far more perplexing, silly, and downright demoralizing names out there. What I find interesting isn't any amount of public backlash, but that a Swedish governmental organization, the Swedish National Tax Board, apparently has the authority to register (or to block the registration of) baby names in that country. Little Metallica has already been baptized, but just like with marriage, the government has trumped god.
Baby names have been on my mind this week. In nine days, we will find out if "Lefty" is a boy or girl. Shortly thereafter, the lists of names My Lovely Wife and I have been working on will move from concept to reality. One of the lists will be thrown away, the other will become the centerpiece of my life.
One of the great things about this country, compared with the repressive cultures of other Draconian countries like, say, Sweden, is that you can name your baby whatever you wish. They may be urban legends, but should you ever run into a woman named Female, or Syphilis, or a gentleman named Nosmo King, or perhaps the siblings Orangejello and Lemonjello, you can thank this great country we live in.
My Lovely Wife and I can name our child whatever strikes our fancy. We could name our baby after a corporation, a television show, or a venereal disease, and no G-man is going to come around to stop us.
So in nine days, I will know if I'm having a son or a daughter. I'm guessing that within three-four weeks from now, I'll know my son or daughter's name. The only thing that is certain right now is that YOU won't know the name until my baby is born. The name is our little secret. Besides, when you've got a name as cool as Pantera, you want too keep it under wraps.
Oops.
To me, the most notable part of the story isn't that the parents wanted to name their child Metallica - there are far more perplexing, silly, and downright demoralizing names out there. What I find interesting isn't any amount of public backlash, but that a Swedish governmental organization, the Swedish National Tax Board, apparently has the authority to register (or to block the registration of) baby names in that country. Little Metallica has already been baptized, but just like with marriage, the government has trumped god.
Baby names have been on my mind this week. In nine days, we will find out if "Lefty" is a boy or girl. Shortly thereafter, the lists of names My Lovely Wife and I have been working on will move from concept to reality. One of the lists will be thrown away, the other will become the centerpiece of my life.
One of the great things about this country, compared with the repressive cultures of other Draconian countries like, say, Sweden, is that you can name your baby whatever you wish. They may be urban legends, but should you ever run into a woman named Female, or Syphilis, or a gentleman named Nosmo King, or perhaps the siblings Orangejello and Lemonjello, you can thank this great country we live in.
My Lovely Wife and I can name our child whatever strikes our fancy. We could name our baby after a corporation, a television show, or a venereal disease, and no G-man is going to come around to stop us.
So in nine days, I will know if I'm having a son or a daughter. I'm guessing that within three-four weeks from now, I'll know my son or daughter's name. The only thing that is certain right now is that YOU won't know the name until my baby is born. The name is our little secret. Besides, when you've got a name as cool as Pantera, you want too keep it under wraps.
Oops.
Labels: baby names
Delivered by SteveJeltzFan. Born on 4/05/2007 09:34:00 AM PERMALINK
1 Comments:
My wife and I go April 11th to find out if my "lefty" is a going to be a girl or boy. I actually call the baby "the Weez" right now after my favorite band Weezer. If it's a boy, I think we're going with Collier, if girl- Makenna.
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