Does Scotland have ban on baby names after German parents have 'Lucifer' vetoed by court?
Naming your child is one of the biggest and most difficult decisions you'll ever have to make. Our names quite literally define us - they are our first point of reference and can hold a lot of profound meaning.
Going through life with a moniker you're happy with is important, but it is equally important not to offend people or make a bad impression, especially in work or social situations when you want to put your best foot forward.
This week, a couple in Germany were banned from calling their son 'Lucifer' after a court ruled it was not suitable. The decision was reportedly made by a court in Rostock, northern Germany after the parents of a boy tried to register the name with the local authorities, according to The Times.
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Under German rule, names can be denied if the parents' choice leaves the child open to ridicule or disadvantage. In this case, registrars decided being named 'Lucifer' would harm the boy's future.
Satan, Judas, Whiskey, and McDonald have also been rejected in Germany in the past. SJ Strum, baby name expert and co-presenter of Baby Name Envy podcast revealed whether Scotland has a similar law banning certain names.
Speaking on BBC's Good Morning Scotland, SJ said: "Lucifer has an overall global association so if you imagine that child in school, even though the name means 'light-giver,' it's obviously associated with something very, very negative.
"In Scotland, you can't have a law against it [Lucifer]. The registrar will give you advice as to whether or not your name will cause you harm, and couples should take that advice."
She added: "Every year, more and more unique names get registered and we're actually seeing a lot of words as named being registered like Rogue and Maverick. All those names do come along with a certain personality type that we might expect that child to have."
There is no law in Scotland that bans names, but registrars can reject names that are offensive or inappropriate, according to Office for National Statistics. There have been four Lucifers born in Scotland since 1974; in 2013, 2018, 2019, and 2022, according to National Records of Scotland data.
According to the German Personal Status Act, registrars must register the name and the gender of the child in the birth register, the Library of Congress Blogs reported. If the registry office refuses to name the child, the parents can file a suit in civil court requesting their name choice be accepted.
It comes after another couple were also stopped from naming their child Lucifer in 2017. They ended up taking the case to court and compromised on naming their son Lucian instead, per the American Name Society.
Dishing out some advice on how to avoid baby name controversy, SJ said: "Consider whether the name will serve them well. Will it give them a preconception when they go out into the world, and will it be a positive one? In general, try to find a unique name but make it easy to say and spell.
"Make it inoffensive or something that is going to cause them harm, or force them repeat or explain it a lot. We all know that when we're introducing ourselves to somebody, that can be a barrier to people getting to know the real us."
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