Just recently, a court in the United States ordered a couple fighting for custody of their son to change his name from Messiah to something else. The Tennessee judge handed down a court order stating that the name “Messiah” belonged solely to Jesus Christ and that the child’s life could be harmed if he kept that name. This case brought to the forefront the question of who has the ultimate say when it comes to a child’s name. Should parents be limited by laws when naming their child? Does the court have the right to issue a court order requiring a parent to change their child’s name?
According to the American Civil Liberties Union, “Parents, not the government, have the ultimate right to name a child.” Interestingly, Messiah is one of the top ten baby names today. Even more interesting is the number of people named Jesus, Muhammad, or even Lucifer—each with religious significance—without any governmental interference. In fact, there are very few recent judicial cases where names have been denied, and while some countries around the world have laws to prevent certain names, they are rare.
According to the Calgary-Herald, the following names are some of the only ones that have been denied to parents in modern times: Messiah, Blaer, Lucifer, Baron, Bishop, Duke, General, Judge, Justice, King, Knight, 89, C, D, I, T, Doctor, Reverend, Benson and Hedges (twins), Tulula Does the Hula from Hawaii, Venerdi, rfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116, Metallica, Ikea, Q, Veranda, Fish and Chips (twins). Some were banned for obvious reasons, and most name complaints arise from custody or familial issues.
The Role of Government in Naming a Child
That being said, it really is not the duty of the government to interfere and monitor the name choices of parents today. In some countries, such as Germany, a name must be gender-specific, and it is a law that the child’s gender must be recognizable based on the chosen name. In Sweden, a law was enacted in 1982 that prohibits parents from naming their child any name that could be taken offensively, such as those referring to Hitler or, like in the case of Messiah. In Denmark, there is an approved list of 7,000 names from which parents can choose when naming their child. Recently, China enacted a program requiring new babies to be named based on the ability of computer scanners to read those names on national identification cards. The government encourages the use of Simplified characters over Traditional Chinese ones for easier readability. This is just the beginning of government involvement in names, but is it okay?
When celebrities name their children, they often choose names that others might see as outlandish or odd—yet the government doesn’t seem to interfere. Hollywood is known for pushing the envelope on what is considered normal when it comes to baby names. These children will have to live with their names for the rest of their lives. Are these names considered acceptable simply because the children will be raised in the spotlight, rather than in mainstream society?
It seems to most that parents should give ample consideration when naming their child. Often, parents choose family names, while some name their children after inanimate objects or ideals. Others choose names based on their personal preferences, a favorite friend, or a distant relative. New-age thinking asks that parents think twice before naming a child after a deceased loved one, believing it could have spiritual effects on the child. Still, parents should be the ones most concerned with choosing a name that promotes their child’s success.
There are several books available today that help parents choose names for success—offering advice such as “Allisons have a higher chance of getting into law school, whereas John Smiths are so common that they have a greater chance of being overlooked.” Essentially, the idea is that the name you choose for your child is akin to branding them for a life of success or failure. Experts argue that names give others a quick glimpse into the socioeconomic and educational background of a family, which can be just as impactful as a first impression.
The truth is, finding a name for your child is a difficult task. However, it is one that the government should not be involved in. Obviously, if parents lack the common sense or decency to name their child appropriately, it’s a reflection of larger issues within the family. If you name a boy Sue, while your intent may be to make him tough, the larger picture reveals that the parents lack good judgment. In such cases, courts should be able to step in and advocate for the child.
As for the case of Messiah, the baby boy whose name was changed to Martin by a judge—his parents were not alone in choosing Messiah as a baby name. In 2012, there were 700 babies named Messiah in the United States. Is the judge going to try and rename all of those children?
What do you think? Should the government have a say in a child’s name?
