Naming law in Sweden
Encyclopedia
The Naming law is a law in Sweden which requires approval of the names given to Swedish children. The law was enacted in 1982, primarily in order to prevent non-noble families from giving their children the names of noble families. The Swedish Tax Agency
administers the registration of names in Sweden. The law has been reformed since originally enacted. In 1983 it was made possible for men to adopt their wife's or partner's name, as well as for women to adopt their husband's name.
The law states, in part: "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" (34 §). This law text is valid in the same way both when parents name their children and when an adult wants to change their own name. When changing a name at least one of the names given at birth must be kept, and such a change is only allowed once per person. The law states nothing about registering which name is used on a daily basis, but the tax authority registers that if requested.
Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116, pronounced ˈalbɪn, was a name
intended for a Swedish
child who was born in 1991. Parents Elisabeth Hallin and Lasse Diding gave their child this name as a protest against the naming law in Sweden.
Because the parents failed to register a name by the boy's fifth birthday, a district court
in Halmstad
, southern Sweden, fined them 5,000 kronor
(roughly €500 or US$600). Responding to the fine, the parents submitted the 43-character name in May 1996, claiming that it was "a pregnant, expressionistic
development that we see as an artistic creation." The parents suggested the name be understood in the spirit of 'pataphysics. The court rejected the name and upheld the fine.
The parents then tried to change the spelling of the name to A (also pronounced "albin"). Once again, the court refused to approve of the name, citing a prohibition on one-letter naming.
. Tax officials determined that the name was "inappropriate", but the Göteborg County Administrative Court ruled in March 2007 that there was no reason to block the name, stating that a Swedish woman already uses the middle name Metallica. Tax officials did not agree with the decision and denied the parents a passport
for their daughter, but later withdrew the objection.
Commentary at the time noted that the name "Google
" was earlier deemed acceptable in 2005, when Elias and Carol Kai named their child "Oliver Google Kai".
Swedish Tax Agency
The Swedish Tax Agency is a government agency in Sweden responsible for national tax collection and administering the population registration....
administers the registration of names in Sweden. The law has been reformed since originally enacted. In 1983 it was made possible for men to adopt their wife's or partner's name, as well as for women to adopt their husband's name.
The law states, in part: "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" (34 §). This law text is valid in the same way both when parents name their children and when an adult wants to change their own name. When changing a name at least one of the names given at birth must be kept, and such a change is only allowed once per person. The law states nothing about registering which name is used on a daily basis, but the tax authority registers that if requested.
Protest names
There has been a fair amount of controversy surrounding Sweden's naming laws since they have been enacted. Aside from significant commentary in the press, many parents have attempted to give their children unusual names.Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116, pronounced ˈalbɪn, was a name
Personal name
A personal name is the proper name identifying an individual person, and today usually comprises a given name bestowed at birth or at a young age plus a surname. It is nearly universal for a human to have a name; except in rare cases, for example feral children growing up in isolation, or infants...
intended for a Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
child who was born in 1991. Parents Elisabeth Hallin and Lasse Diding gave their child this name as a protest against the naming law in Sweden.
Because the parents failed to register a name by the boy's fifth birthday, a district court
District court
District courts are a category of courts which exists in several nations. These include:-Australia:District Court is the name given to the intermediate court in most Australian States. They hear indictable criminal offences excluding treason, murder and, in some States, manslaughter...
in Halmstad
Halmstad
Halmstad is a port, university, industrial and recreational city at the mouth of Nissan in the province of Halland on the Swedish west coast. Halmstad is the seat of Halmstad Municipality and the capital of Halland County...
, southern Sweden, fined them 5,000 kronor
Swedish krona
The krona has been the currency of Sweden since 1873. Both the ISO code "SEK" and currency sign "kr" are in common use; the former precedes or follows the value, the latter usually follows it, but especially in the past, it sometimes preceded the value...
(roughly €500 or US$600). Responding to the fine, the parents submitted the 43-character name in May 1996, claiming that it was "a pregnant, expressionistic
Expressionism
Expressionism was a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it radically for emotional effect in order to evoke moods or ideas...
development that we see as an artistic creation." The parents suggested the name be understood in the spirit of 'pataphysics. The court rejected the name and upheld the fine.
The parents then tried to change the spelling of the name to A (also pronounced "albin"). Once again, the court refused to approve of the name, citing a prohibition on one-letter naming.
Metallica
In 2007, Michael and Karolina Tomaro fought to have their daughter named "Metallica", after the metal bandMetallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
. Tax officials determined that the name was "inappropriate", but the Göteborg County Administrative Court ruled in March 2007 that there was no reason to block the name, stating that a Swedish woman already uses the middle name Metallica. Tax officials did not agree with the decision and denied the parents a passport
Passport
A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....
for their daughter, but later withdrew the objection.
Commentary at the time noted that the name "Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
" was earlier deemed acceptable in 2005, when Elias and Carol Kai named their child "Oliver Google Kai".
Other cases
In 2009, the Swedish Tax Authority refused to allow a couple to name their son "Allah". The basis of the decision was that the name could be seen as objectionable for religious reasons, and that some people may take offense at such a name.See also
- Naming laws in the People's Republic of ChinaNaming laws in the People's Republic of ChinaNaming laws in the People's Republic of China are based on technical capability rather than the appropriateness of words Naming laws in the People's Republic of China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau, as well as the Republic of China situated on the islands of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu) are...
, for similar cases in China - Swedish nobilitySwedish nobilityThe Swedish nobility were historically a legally and/or socially privileged class in Sweden, part of the so-called frälse . Today, the nobility is still very much a part of Swedish society but they do not maintain many of their former privileges...
- Wolfe+585, SeniorWolfe+585, SeniorHubert Blaine Wolfeschlegelsteinhausenbergerdorff, Sr. is the short name of a Philadelphian typesetter, who has the longest personal name ever used. "585" represents the number of additional letters in his full surname...
, a typesetter whose full name was 746 letters long