How not to name your child in Germany

[@Karl-Walter]

Claire is indeed a nice name for a girl, unless the surname is Grube. There might be a bunch of similar unlucky combinations, this just is an example.

[@Norkans5]

In that case, Keith is unsuitable for boys.

[@azteriaaa]

"Rainer Zufall" "Klara Fall" "Rosa Schlüpfer" (actually someones name iirc)

[@Arminixnix]

Dragoslav ist ein empfehlenswerter Name. Das Kind kann den Namen später einfach abkürzen und spart sich ein komplettes Studium!

[@RiccardoSchuhmann]

Profundus ist auch sehr schön in dem Zusammenhang ;)

[@xythiera7255]

Wenn du willst das dein Kind gemopt wird dann ja.

[@3nt3_]

@@xythiera7255 der witz war dass man dragoslav zu "Dr." abkürzen könnte und somit kein Studium brauche

[@robertnett9793]

Das nennt man einen Pro-Gamer-Move nehme ich an :D

[@Fichtelslynkahoudn]

@@xythiera7255 Ist doch praktisch, dann brauche ich es nicht baden.

[@minski76]

"You'll probably be restricted to about 5" Unless you're Karl-Theodor Maria Nikolaus Johann Jacob Philipp Franz Joseph Sylvester Buhl-Freiherr von und zu Guttenberg

[@freilichwurscht]

Probably his ghostwriters names.

[@23PowerL]

Family traditions are also considered. For example there is this one noble family who calls all their males Heinrich, without exception. You couldn't do that normally.

[@uztre6789]

About 40 years ago it was still common that children are named after their godparents. Since it wasn't uncommon to have up to 7 or 8, very long names were also very common.

[@sizanogreen9900]

Dr.Karl-Theodor Maria Nikolaus Johann Jacob Philipp Franz Joseph Sylvester Buhl-Freiherr von und zu Guttenberg :P (when he was in his prime)

[@agricolon]

pff ridiculous. what about: Ernst August Albert Paul Otto Rupprecht Oskar Berthold Friedrich-Ferdinand Christian-Ludwig Prinz von Hannover Herzog zu Braunschweig und Lüneburg Königlicher Prinz von Großbritannien und Irland ;)

[@DEWGOFFICIAL]

"Kevin" should be banned.

[@DarkNexarius]

Don't worry it solves itself. A Kevin always wins the darwin award.

[@nemonilnada5044]

"Kevin" is not a name, it is a diagnose, same is true for "Mandy"

[@GodzThirdLeg]

+nemo nilnada I never ever met a Mandy at this point I am pretty sure there are none out there. I also think the female equivalent to "Kevin" is "Ja(c)queline"

[@RiccardoSchuhmann]

Are you German? In the English speaking world, Kevin is just a normal boys name

[@nemonilnada5044]

Riccardo Schuhmann For some time,and I think even nowadays there has been the fashion particularly in east Germany to give children English, or English-sounding names. Often misspelled or nicknames,really. Those names became associated with low social standing and IQ-neutrality. "Kevin" is one of them, "Mandy"another. As stereotypes go, it is rather unwise to name your kid like that, because of those associations. So if you ever meet a German called "Ronny, Ringo, Sandy" you might as well guess they are from the East and you´d probably be right.

[@schmuelinsky]

A daughter of friends of mine was called "Populina" (I'm not sure if the name even existed before, but I guess it means something like "of the people" in latin). But in school she was bullied by being called "Popo" (butt) so often that she changed her name to just "Lina". After that you do see the point of official name approval. Children can be so mean...

[@motivase]

Sorry in this case it is not mean children but stupid parents...

[@KaiHenningsen]

It's the combination of the two. Without stupid parents, no problematic name; without mean children, nobody to make that name a problem.

[@TremereTT]

My son went to school with a girl named Alexa von Hinten(sic!) . I didn't get how this is legal.

[@MrHodoAstartes]

Xamurai Well, giving a girl a name that implies public use is more than unfortunate, anyway.

[@ranmakuro]

The grown up children older than 16 are able to change their name when they really have disatvantages by it. But there must be very good reasons and of course it is part of bureaucracy taking much effort and a long time to work.

[@koelle4ever]

It´s possible to name your child "Adolf" but it´s completly out of fashion :D

[@worldhello1234]

It is not a bad idea, unless you are surrounded by paranoid idiots.

[@notakirakarakaza2118]

I wonder why

[@Ul.B]

It's not forbidden, but not recommended.

[@juliusmuller8529]

But 99% of the Standesbeamten didn't allow that.

[@FlorenzVillegas]

I heard about an Italian father (in Italy) naming his daughter in dedication to the "place" where she was actually born. Her name is now Lufthansa.

[@PuzzleQodec]

@Vindexproeliator Yeah, imagine that poor kid calling in sick at school. "Lufthansa is on strike again."

[@kasetoast8354]

@@PuzzleQodec "Yeah, imagine that poor kid calling in sick at school. "Lufthansa is on strike again." xD made my day. Never gets old.

[@nerdbot4446]

Darth Vader isn't allowed? No problem, I'd name my son Darth Sidious anyways (the long form of "Sid")

[@vertexrikers]

Oh, no problem - you just need to find a civil servant who's not that familiar with the Star Trek franchise... ;D

[@MarcusBergmannJura]

That won't help - unless he's also not familiar with Star Wars

[@vertexrikers]

Marcus Bergmann we already made up our minds, so don't confuse us with the facts!

[@user-jj1zm5ol7l]

Patrick Star I know a guy whose name is Yoda

[@vertexrikers]

Bands are life Yoda, video id BQ4yd2W50No "Do or do not - there is no try." Obi-Wan, video id wgpytjlW5wU "Only a sith deals in absolutes." You may yet come to realize the true reason for Yoda not wanting Luke to engage Vader =)

[@BarHonigfeld]

My grandparents were not allowed to call my mother "Helena" though, because it was a foreign form of a name that did exist in Germany: "Helene". That was ages ago, though (1951). Alternatively, my grandmother on my fathers side (born 1908) was allowed the name "Lulu" which caused a lot of confusion throughout her life.

[@uztre6789]

I know someone who's called "Fredi" and he always has to show his passport to prove that his name isn't actually Friedrich or Frederick.

[@arnoldhau1]

Well was that just an opinion of the registrar or did they actually go to court on this issue? In any case I am quite sure that would be OK by now.

[@BarHonigfeld]

arnoldhau1 Well, they did not go to court for that. I assume 6 years post world war two my grandparents were preoccupied with bigger issues than the last vowel of my mothers first name.

[@OmmerSyssel]

Bär Honigfeld maybe you're ought to tell the meaning of "Lulu" in german, is childish language for peeing..

[@BarHonigfeld]

+NastyAutist I never heard of that. Maybe it's a regional thing? (I am from Kassel) I know "loo" is some sort of British word for toilet, though.

[@eltfell]

Ein Kind durfte nicht "Grammophon" genannt werden. Dagegen hat ein anderer Vater für seine Tochter den Namen "Wolke" durchgesetzt. Die ist heute übrigens Schauspielerin.

[@lowenzahn3976]

Also hat sie doch einen Schaden davongetragen.

[@i.i.iiii.i.i]

Ja gut, Wolke ist ja nun auch nichts im Vergleich mit Grammophon :P

[@NicolaW72]

Wolke Hegenbarth :-)

[@aramisortsbottcher8201]

Wolke gefällt mir, irgendwie komisch, wie z.B. "Biene", aber hat was.

[@Itsjustme-Justme]

@@aramisortsbottcher8201 Angesichts dessen, dass diverse Namenskurzformen auch als eigenständige Namen anerkannt werden, von Willy über Harry und Fritz bis zu Gretel, wäre es interessant ob man sein Kind Biene nennen darf. Ich kenne gleich 2 Sabinen, die jeder nur Bi(e)ne nennt.

[@Weltraumfee]

I like to read the announcements of births in the local paper to see what new parents came up with the past week and one name really stuck with me. Gretchen Schneewittchen. Who the heck was responsible for this?

[@DarkNexarius]

Schneewittchen means Snow White Gretchen I don't like it but I don't see any reason why someone shouldn't be allowed to name their child like this.

[@TheChosenOne_]

Gretchen was common back in the day

[@Folgemilch21]

Weltraumfee gretchen is just the diminuitive of grete or greta

[@KanaiIle]

I´m pretty sure "Gretchen" is just the short/cute form for "Margarete" or something similar.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

The issue is we have a name that isn't commonly used for atleast 70 years and a name only recognised from a fairy tale. The same way I woudln't call my son Remington Hamlet or my daughter Waynette Gretel.

[@Heimbasteln]

Perdita sounds like a hygiene product...

[@SinginVampireBlog]

In Austria we have pretty much the same system as far as I know... And watching Americans name their children sometimes feels like watching parents come up with possible ways to ruin their child's life... 😂

[@gold3084]

But in English speaking countries it is fairly easy to change the name once they become adults !

[@ThePixel1983]

​@@gold3084That's still 18 years of hell.

[@Hansaman58]

I am a 66 year old American. Americans are just stupid.

[@RockGodFuck]

Which all in all sounds pretty reasonable to handle the situation. But than again I'm german...

[@SnorriSnibble]

*then (sorry, I couldn't help it :D)

[@HaoSci]

nahh, I totally agree that these rules are very reasonable.

[@worldhello1234]

It is not really reasonable to give someone else the power to interfere with your decision making for subjective reasons. Let alone that you cannot change your name later on for the simple reason that you had no choice.

[@worldhello1234]

No, they aren't if freedom means something to you.

[@Quintinohthree]

@@worldhello1234 What freedom is involved in being given a name? It's entirely passive and it is with due respect for a child's future that their parents are allowed the privilege of presenting any name for approval and to present further names if any name they present is deemed inappropriate. By all means the naming process could be dictated by tradition, or it might be dictated by the state, or a name has to be picked off a limited list of names, but it isn't and instead a child can be given any appropriate name by their parents.

[@imrehundertwasser7094]

While most people today may only know "Borussia" as part of the name of sports clubs, it is actually the Latin name of Prussia, like Germania is the Latin name of Germany. Both used to be personified as women until the early 20th century. There are still statues of both.

[@WindspriteM]

yeah, but think of a kid born in the Ruhr area. Doesn't matter how much that kid explains to the other kids on the playground about history, when everybody has a vivid idea of the football club but only a vague idea what Prussia even was.

[@mweskamppp]

In the frisian area you have a couple of neutral names. f.e. Eike could be a man or a woman.

[@Cookie_85]

And then there is sometimes the problem with the people in the registry office, who refuses to fill in the name in the birth certificate just because they don't like it.

[@uncinarynin]

"Simone" and "Andrea" are male names in Italy but female names in Germany. Also, there is a tradition of giving "Maria" as a second name to males (Rainer Maria Rilke, Carl Maria von Weber). "Gösta" is male in Sweden but can also be female in north Germany. "Helge" is male in north Germany but sometimes also used for female. I remember a rule that an ambiguous name had to be combined with one that makes the gender clear. Then again there are children born with the characteristics of both sexes and that would be a nice case for those .... The first name "Jesus" is very common in Spain but at least discouraged in Germany. The first name "Adolf" will probably never have a revival.

[@Alias_Anybody]

Rainer Maria Rilke was already bullied for this in the 19th Century, not a very good tradition.

[@Dualgas]

No offence to anyone named "Andrea", but it's a really stupid name. It comes from the ancient Greek ανδρειος (andreios) meaning manly or masculine, ultimately from the word for man, ανηρ (aner). And it's not like the word "man" in English and German where the word used to mean "person" before being narrowed down to mean an adult male, aner comes from a word that has meant "man" since Proto-Indo European times! And then there's "Charlotte" which although French comes from the German "Karl" meaning guy or fellow. It just goes to show that you can't just add "-a" to any man's name and expect it to work. Parents need to do their research.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

Always fun to see how english uses the french form Charlemagne while german just goes with Karl, despite english having a name Carl

[@Ul.B]

@@HappyBeezerStudios The name Karl also exists in Germany in the Latin form Carl.

[@ohauss]

@@Dualgas And yet, there are plenty of names for which both male and female forms exist.

[@TremereTT]

the real problem is that you can't change your name without a psychological approuval that the name makes you ill.

[@robertnett9793]

I think this depends - on how hard the office stalls and blocks (which many of them do) and how drastic the situation is. Changing your name from something not particularly associated with being problematic - like Martin to Stefan (quite common names) creates a lot of work for a lot of people with no visible gain. You might prove that someone who raped you might had the name Martin, so you need to change it in order to not be reminded every time you write your name. But I bet, nobody will stall, when you are called Adolf for example...

[@Weissbrotpredator]

"...to make sure the child is not subject to ridicule" Still, I went to school with someone called Horst-Kevin.

[@Freyfrank]

Wo mostly made fun of the stupid double names of our female teachers. Which they themselves had chosen to double up...

[@Freyfrank]

Double surnames, that is.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

Horst-Kevin sounds like something out of a comedy movie, or maybe a dog.

[@Afrikaaner11]

I am from the USA. I have also lived in Germany. I think the German system is a good thing. Here in the USA the current trend is to name your child with a surname as a given name. I personally do not care for this. I named my daughter with a proper first name.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

What about naming it after a place? Which is also silly.

[@NoZoDE]

@@HappyBeezerStudios Always found it weird that americans call their children something like London or Sydney

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

@@NoZoDE Can we assume it's the place of conception? How many Kitchen-Table Johnson and Bathroomstall Smith do we need :D

[@regenbogentraumerin]

A friend of mine was born about 25 years ago in Russia but had a german father. She was called 'Elizaveta' but her parents couldn't get a german passport for her with this name. They were told 'Elizaveta' is not allowed as name in Germany, neither in cyrillic nor latin script. So she got a russian passport for 'Elizaveta' and a german one for 'Elisabeth' :D

[@christophc9078]

Interesting, I know a Elisaveta with a German Passport who is only a few years younger.

[@robertnett9793]

Well - that's the problem with leavint stuff to single registrars / beaurocrats. Some of them are just assholes and if you don't know your rights or how to navigate the kafkaesk labyrinth our beaurocratic system can be at times - which might very well be, if you just arrived from another country, then shit like this happens.

[@lonestarr1490]

@@robertnett9793 I agree that must be the case here. Those naming rules don't even apply to passports for foreigners. And I don't see anything wrong with Elizaveta either.

[@nemonilnada5044]

Like in New Zealand a court ruled that her parents were not allowed to name their daughter "Talula does The Hula From Hawaii"

[@benjaminlammertz64]

They should seriously loose custody just for trying.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

So what did they do, shorten it to Talula?

[@hmgrraarrpffrzz9763]

So, my grandmother was russian and the rest of my family german, making me 3/4 german and 1/4 russian. My parents wanted to give me a russian name (not entirely russian, but like germanized russian). The office who was responsible for the naming thing told my parents they couldn't do that, because the name *sounds* as if it would have a vowel at the end, and most german names with a vowel at the end are womens names, and by law you have to be able to identify the gender by the name. And so they said "pick a different name". But my father said "my mother was russian so we give our child a russian name", and so that happened. Now, when I have an appointment at some place and the person calling people in doesn't know me, then like every third time I'm called "Miss" and the other times "Mister". I don't really care about that. I still got a cutout of a newspaper regarding my naming.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

On the positive side, it makes job interviews interesting because the other side doesn't know what to expect.

[@leDespicable]

@@HappyBeezerStudios Nope, because in Germany you have to include a picture of yourself in your application. It's technically not officially required, but most companies still ask for it and will even dismiss your application when you don't include it.

[@AjPuj]

Was du als Letztes gesagt hast stimmt nur teilweise. Man kann seinen Namen bzw. Nachnamen durchaus ändern lassen. Z.B. wenn man mit Nachnamen Fick heißt. Oder Otze mit Nachnamen aber einen Vornamen mit F hat und dieser abgekürzt wird, sprich F...Otze. (beide Namensbeispiele gibt es übrigens wirklich, das habe ich mir nicht ausgedacht!)

[@ohauss]

Theoretisch ja. Praktisch verlangen viele Standesämter dafür bisweilen Beträge jenseits von gut und böse - das geht bis in den vierstelligen Bereich.

[@NicolaW72]

Bei "uns" in Niedersachsen gibt es einige Familiennamen, die aus dem Niederdeutschen/ Plattdeutschen stammen und dort eigentlich keinen obszönen Klang haben - diesen aber in einer fast ausschließlich hochdeutschen Gegenwart annehmen. In meinem Heimatort gab es einen sehr seriösen, konservativen Herrn namens Ulf Ficken, der dann irgendwann die immer selben Witze unter der Gürtellinie über ihn so leid war, dass er seinen Familiennamen änderte und zu Ulf Finke wurde. Das ging aber durch mehrere Gerichtsinstanzen und hat Jahre gedauert, da sich das Standesamt mit Hinweis auf die alte niedersächsische Tradition des ursprünglichen Familiennamens quergelegt hatte. Als Außenstehende/r mag sich so etwas natürlich witzig anhören, für Betroffene ist es das aber ganz und gar nicht.

[@robertnett9793]

@@NicolaW72 Da liegt halt das Problem - im Endeffekt überträgt man einem Amt, bzw einer reihe von Leuten die Aufgabe darauf zu achten, dass Namen niemandem zum Problem werden (etwa Eltern davon abraten ihr Kind Kevin zu nennen...) auf der anderen Seite menschelt es halt da auch. Und persönliche Interessen, Vorlieben und Abneigungen des Standesbeamten können halt in die Entscheidung mit einfließen, wenngleich sie es nicht sollten... Es wird - egal wie man es regelt - immer irgendwelche Probleme geben...

[@Daysed.and.Konfuzed]

Even Saint Jude had (in the English bible) his name changed from Judas. But they actually had the exact same name (Ὶούδας). I think the English preachers were tired of sermons that sounded like "...then Judas (not the famous one) paid the bill (but not with pieces of silver)..."

[@simonh6371]

I had heard that it was illegal to name your child (son) Jesus in Germany. Just googled it and it turns out I was right, prior to 1998 it was but since then it's fine. Also Adolf is not illegal but for some inexplicable reason not at all popular since 1945.

[@rainerausdemspring3584]

You might not know: Obviously female names may not be given to boys - except - Maria as a second name. Rainer Maria Rilke comes to mind.

[@TheEulerID]

Perdita appears in both Shakespeare (The Winter's Tale) and Disney (101 Dalmatians)

[@HaoSci]

I love how Germany people do things. These are reasonable regulations, I have no problem with them at all.

[@robertnett9793]

By and large I agree. There are some really strange rules, that don't make sense and are just a pain in the buttocks for everyone. But all in all most of it is sensible...

[@michaelmichael2382]

I understand the good intention and i m happy that my name is Michael and not cokenose, but i think its wierd that a government can decide which name you name you can't name YOUR Child

[@leDespicable]

@@michaelmichael2382 Well, for the authorities to intervene the name you have come up with has to be so dumb that you probably shouldn't have come up with it anyway. It's your child that has to live with it after all, not you. My second name is Andreas (named after my aunt Andrea, who is my godmother). My parents once told my that they were considering Andrea because it is a male name in italy, but the amount of ridicule I would've had to endure because of it makes me glad they chose Andreas instead.

[@u.s.navy_pete4111]

@@michaelmichael2382 The reason is that it actually ISN'T YOUR child. The child belongs to itself.

[@NoZoDE]

If you want your child to suffer and have the last name "Wurst" then call them Hans Wurst (real)

[@Henrik46]

So there IS a law, it's just that registrars get to decide which names are ok. It's the same in Norway.

[@banannapotato2595]

Latin is still really common to be taught in schools :)

[@conraddoway703]

sexy kartoffelporno Latin is mostly learned in linguistics, There was a time when it was learned as a 2nd language

[@leDespicable]

@@conraddoway703 It still is commonly taught as a second langauge, though. Many Gymnasien offer it as a second language.

[@evoli-7623]

Perdita, like the dog in Disney movie 101 dalmatians? Wow, didn't know that as a German native. The name sounds old, but without the explanation I wouldn't have considered it to be offensive.

[@nigelmchugh5541]

Here in Ireland, you will find many boys with Surnames as Christian names. This is more usual in the Protestant tradition for some reason. In almost every case, the mother will give her son her own maiden name as a Christian name, as a kind of reminder of his heritage on his mother's family side. So you get fellows called, for instance, Stafford Wilson, or Johnston McMaster etc. where the mother's surname before marriage was Stafford or Johnston. It does at least, help historians tracing family trees....

[@Dualgas]

Can vouch for this. My mother's maiden name is "O'Connell" so she wanted to name me "Conall"! I checked, and they are the same name, "Ó Conaill" means "descended from Conall". But that didn't happen and I am named after my grandfather. Thing is, we're Catholic.

[@itryen7632]

Ah yes, my favourite name. "MOON UNIT".

[@bogomir67]

You can give a male child the name "Maria", as this is considered a traditional tribute to the virgin mary. But only as a middle name.

[@imrehundertwasser7094]

That's rather a Catholic thing and slightly unfashionable today. Though it still happens.

[@ElchiKing]

e.g. Christoph Maria Herbst. In France they have "Jean-Marie"

[@jose_reyes1111]

Thomas Bögel In Mexico there is this common name for men José-María and for women María-José :P

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

It's not even a middle name, it's a second given (or first) name. german doesn't really has the concept of middle names.

[@leDespicable]

Maria isn't just used as a middle name, it used to be a pretty popular first name, not so much nowadays. My maternal and paternal great-grandmothers were both called Maria.

[@FenceThis]

Borussia is simply the Latin word for Prussia

[@vertexrikers]

Here's an old one: Sie wollen Ihre Tochter wirklich "Claire" nennen, Frau Grube? ("Really wanna call your daughter Cess, Ms Pit?")

[@KanaiIle]

Sie wollen ihren Sohn wirklich Axel nennen, Frau Schweiss?

[@carlosspitz3638]

Sie wollen Ihren Sohn wirklich Reiner nennen, Herr Hohn?

[@robertnett9793]

@@carlosspitz3638 Rainer / Reiner is basically a cursed name. Reiner Unfug, Reiner Blödsinn, Reiner Wein.... Way too much possibilities.

[@LunnarisLP]

My name is "Ullrich" (surname), I had a teacher that had "Ulrich" as first name :D I guess it's just for Müller, Schmidt,..

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

There are some that do exist as both. Might be rooted in historical reasons from times where family names weren't really a thing. And if you had two with the same given name the way to differentiate would be either by traits (the long, the younger, the red, etc), by profession (the smith, the butcher, the miller, the potter, etc) or their parent (son of John, daughter of Mary, etc) And professions tended to run in the family with the son learning the job from his father, so if one was a fisher, so was the other.

[@lonestarr1490]

@@HappyBeezerStudios On German TV there's a chef by the name of Thomas Martin. At the university I met a guy named Martin Thomas. The latter one I once jokingly asked why his parents didn't call him Thomas Thomas instead. He answered that such would be forbitten, because it must always be clear what's the surname and what's the given name. But I figured that this cannot be so, because under such rule his parents would indeed have be forced to call him Thomas Thomas, because only then would it have been clear that his given name is Thomas while his surname is Thomas, while for Martin Thomas (or Martin, Thomas) it's up for debate.

[@MrInsdor]

My parents gave me a name made up of two male names. It's never been registered before and is thus not clearly attributed to one gender, although it has the typical male -el ending. My parents and the name administrator(?) agreed on me having two additional definitely identifiable male names. Never had trouble. The name sounds as genuine as any other name, so people are surprised 19/20 times about the fact it's made up and not just exotic lol

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

Isn't the -el ending related to biblical angels? And yet Andrea is a male given name in Italy while in many other languages it's seen as a female name.

[@MrInsdor]

@@HappyBeezerStudios Yes, it is. More generally I think in Semitic language names it's the word for god. These names often mean servant of god, messager of god and so on. But in my name it comes from Noël, which is of Celtic origin which then went into French.

[@Ninchennase]

My classmate was called Perdita and I'm turning 40 this year. Her father was French, maybe they got it through by claiming it's a common French name?

[@sion8]

Ninchennase​​ I don't know why he said "depraved", or it maybe my mother tongue (Spanish) doing the talking here but to me it sounds more like the feminine for "the lost one" (which could also be considered 'bad') and I've also learned some Latin and to me it still doesn't sound not mean or anything bad.

[@NephritduGrey]

"Perdita is one of the heroines of William Shakespeare's play The Winter's Tale. She is the daughter of Leontes, King of Sicilia, and his wife Hermione." Just claim it's inspired by Shakespeare. :3 Edit: hm.. also huh? "Perdita (Latin for "loss")"

[@RiccardoSchuhmann]

In know one "Perdita" in Hamburg

[@flashnfantasy]

Actually it had been a rule to have a recognizable german name at least until 1993. Many russians, that immigrated to germany had to change up their slavic to something german, that is why there had been a sudden rise of names like Eugen (Jewgenij) or Waldemar (Vladimir). Also some turkish name were unwanted for the unclear gender association, like Özgul, which sound male, but is a female name.

[@rewboss]

No, that's not true. Foreign citizens who became naturalized Germans are allowed to change their name to a German one if they want to -- and those who came to Germany because they considered themselves ethnically German were only too happy to do so, which is why it was very common. But there was never any rule that said that only German names were acceptable. For example, the Bengali name Maitreyi Padma was registered in 1998.

[@ElchiKing]

+rewboss However, some bureaucrats in the offices tried their best not to let them know that which led to confusion...

[@flashnfantasy]

Maybe it was not an legal obligation, but sometimes authorities can be very pressing. For example Marusha Aphrodite Gleiß ( de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marusha ) was renamed Marion since her name was not in a list of allowed names. It the Wikipedia-Entry there is a law mentioned, that got repealed in 1990 (although there is no reference to the law itself). My anecdote is from a book review www.mein-name-ist-eugen.de/, in which the author cites a law: www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bvfg/__94.html which in fact is a law for a certain group of people CAN (not MUST) change their name to make it sound german.

[@Niborgator]

Man kann sich seine Eltern nicht vorsichtig genug außsuchen

[@MaggotDiggo1]

A friend of a friend here in Australia is named "Merry Christmas"... Unusurprisingly, she changed her name...

[@kilésengati]

What's the problem with Borussia? I mean, why not naming your child Prussia?

[@Ul.B]

Because it reminds too much of a football club (Borussia Dortmund, Borussia Mönchengladbach). Bavaria is allowed.

[@Adlerjunges83]

KTzG - as far as I remember - told to give up on one of his given names. Now he has 12. This now seems to be the absolute maximum of given names people can normally have. Some authorities have only allowed up to 5.

[@PaulShantanu]

I am just concerned for the Indian guys named Aryan who try to move to Germany.

[@rewboss]

It's not a problem: the German for "Aryan" is "arisch", so there's no confusion.

[@rainerwahnsinn9585]

Only the first name must fit the gender of the person if "Maria" is used as 2nd-name (70-40 years ago) like Klaus Maria Brandauer Klaus Maria Profitlich but the parents must be religious

[@aramisortsbottcher8201]

I don't get the problem with Schröder, we had a guy in school who's surname was Schröder and people called him like this. Ok, after watching the video I understand. I indeed have a similar problem, "Orts" ist not my second name, but my first surname, yet at the dentist they call for "Böttcher" and I can't be sure if they want me or someone else.

[@dcseain]

That sounds like an eminently sensible way to handle the issue.

[@worldhello1234]

If you are a slave and your name is Uncle Tom. ;)

[@KanaiIle]

I currently wonder what the current state of the name "Adolf" is. It is obviously connected to something negative and has fallen out of fashion quite drastically, however there are still a fair share of Adolfs after which one could want to name their child, like Adolph Kolping, who was at the front of social work for the workers class at the high point of industrial revolution. Not to speak of grandparents and such who may got their name before it became tainted and after whom you want to name your child.

[@KanaiIle]

Well, all of those names have fallen out of fashion as well. Have not ever met someone with those names that was younger than 50. Could just be different trends, though.

[@Siegbert85]

Same. It's basically a taboo to name your child Adolf, aside from the trend not to name your child any old-fashioned German name. I once met one guy in his thirties by the name of "Helmut" which is super rare these days.

[@Siegbert85]

So what... I didn't say the name was tainted. It's just old-fashioned and thus rare in my generation.

[@sikckaputten]

"Borussia" is actually neolatin for Prussia. However there are lots of sports clubs incorporating the name "Borussia". Just saying.

[@TParis23]

"...and is stuck with whatever name is given to them." There's the rub. Protecting children from psychological harm because of the name they are given is perfectly fine and good... But then afterwards, the authorities have no business forbidding adults (who can vote, run for office, and get behind the wheel of multi-ton vehicles on long stretches of road with no speed limit) from changing their name however they please. Naming a child something silly would be a little less dire if the child could, as an adult, change their name without having to satisfy the state that they have a "good enough reason." And we shouldn't wash our hands of depriving adults that right with the justification that the names are kept reasonable from the beginning anyway.

[@swanpride]

I would say that by the time the child which got such a great name like "Baldachinprinzessin" or "Möwe" is already quite damaged by the time it reaches adulthood.

[@TParis23]

Of course! As I said in my comment, protecting children from the psychological trauma of growing up with a ridiculous name is fine in my book. But let's not use that as an excuse to overlook the injustice and plain uselessness of denying adult people the right to change their own name.

[@astroboy3291]

Strange name would be Nina Hagen's Daughter: Cisma Shiva Hagen

[@Moritz19081980]

I am German and I have exactly 5 names.

[@spacebizkit1966]

It‘s quite possible that the parents who wanted to name their daughter Borussia didn‘t actually give a fig about football. Not many people are aware of the fact, that Borussia is the latin word for Prussia (Preußen). It is also the name of the female embodiment of Prussia just like the goddess Germania is the embodiment of Germany. Perhaps they were just wanting to honor their Prussian heritage?…

[@studiosnch]

Someone must have confused Iceland with Germany

[@biscoito1r]

There are some German surnames that have become somehow common given names in Brazil, such as Wagner, Gutenberg, Rüsenberg, Wanderberg as well the the dutch Wanderley ( Van der Leij ), just to name a few.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

Would be fun to have a Wagner Wagner

[@thelusogerman3021]

Here in Portugal we can't name kids Mona Lisa. There are other banned names but I don't remember.

[@thelusogerman3021]

ok I found a list of 82 pages of names that are(or aren't)forbidden with observations like: ana rosário is only admitted in the form ana do rosário

[@sion8]

+XxX_69_edgy teen_69_XxX Link to article?

[@HarlekinEO]

Regarding the headline, I thought he were explaining, why you shouldnt name your child Kevin in germany XD.

[@robertnett9793]

I think most registrars nowadays advise parents against Kevin or Chantalle....

[@CannedBullets]

They seriously need something like this in America.

[@robertnett9793]

Hm... ich hab mich schon gewundert, warum alle dagegen sind, dass ich meinen Sohn einen sehr traditionellen deutschen Namen geben wollte. Ihr wisst schon - einer der teuesten Gefährten Siegfrids des Drachentöters, genannt 'Blödian'....

[@kikiorr9630]

No way would restrictions like this be tolerated in the USA! 😲

[@robertnett9793]

Yes... and then you end up with children-names that sound like the cat strolled over the keyboard...

[@dansattah]

It very much is a shift in priorities between these two cultures. #1 Priority of the American Constitution: Freedom of speech and expression #1 Priority of the Basic Law, Germany's constitution: Human dignity is inviolable.

[@kikiorr9630]

As you may recall, our youngest daughter's first name is Palin....in honor of Michael Palin, of Monty Python & Travel fame. That wouldn't be acceptable in Germany?

[@rewboss]

Dunno. There's a reasonable chance it might make people think of Sarah Palin. Although I do believe that since I made this video, the rule about the gender needing to be obvious has been relaxed somewhat.

[@zdl1965]

Is Adolf still used as a given name in Germany?

[@schmalettesm2069]

You can name your children paris and schmidt is a normal name

[@Mladjasmilic]

What about Slavic immigrants? Srećko (Lucky) was common.

[@Automatik234]

Slavic names + surnames can lead to hilarious combinations. What would the world be without Marko Marković and Ana Anić.

[@viktro546]

But Borussia is Latin for Prussia, right?

[@germanyball1379]

viktro546 yes, but is also the name of Borussia Dortmund, and i think around 2/3 of the grrman Population don't know today what Borussia means

[@WindspriteM]

​@@germanyball1379 yeah, I would also say that what matters is the connotation it carries for most people. Even intelligent people who know this will still awkwardly think of the several football clubs called Borussia

[@BiaZarr]

On the other hand there is a boy called "Matt-Eagle", which is all and nice, until you know that "Matt-Eagle" sounds similar to the German word "Mettigel"...

[@Hand-in-Shot_Productions]

And it's a hedgehog made of minced pork, isn't it? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mett

[@BiaZarr]

@@Hand-in-Shot_Productions exactly

[@EnigmaG1]

Perdita O Verdorben, man lernt nie aus. Nun macht Sir Terry Pratchett Agnes Nitt Sinn.

[@robertnett9793]

Prachtett ist einfach ein meisterhafter Autor gewesen, der mit Sprache und subtilem Wortwitz so viel konnte :D Die Steinsemmel der Zwerge - im Englischen 'The Scone of Stone' - und der schottische 'Stone of Scone' auf dem die Könige gekrönt wurden, fällt mir grad ein.

[@0cer0]

Theres a movie named after its main character: Perdita Durango. She's Mexican.

[@TheEulerID]

Perdita was a character in the Disney film 101 Dalmatians and another was in Shakespeare's The Winter Tale.

[@RTSFan1337]

I know someone who's name is Franz Franz.

[@tashab3322]

My father wanted me to be named Helga-_-

[@robertnett9793]

The good thing is, you can change your name ... I believe when you turn 16 or at least 18. As long as you can deliver the slightes bit of proof that your name somehow is a problem for you.

[@TheManWhoWins4]

Is the name Adolf is a good choise

[@athanasiusphilopatorismaxi389]

Jihad is the right one, Djehad will be mostly used by North africans (morocco tunisia algeria ) , considering Egypt is mostly counted with middleeast west Asian arabic speaking countries Djehad is weird to be named by an Egyptian. . it's also a name for both genders, it is commonly used in Palestine Syria, it isn't known in Egypt or even the most islamic country in the est Saudi . the names in the east are not measuring how religious you are, many hardcore atheists here have their first name "islam"

[@ghenulo]

"Perdita" means "lost" in Esperanto (the singular past passive participle of "perdi" (to lose), from Latin "perdere"; cf Spanish "perdida").

[@robertnett9793]

Still not a name I want to go with...

[@kacperwoch4368]

I guess almost every country regulates names and prevents parents from naming children like: 12345, #cool, allah akbar or something worse

[@peterkroger7112]

I know this is totally off topic but while watching the video I could not stop thinking about The Ten Commandments due to the sweater you're wearing.

[@meldfitz]

Perdita sounds beautiful. Ha :) In Slavic languages, at least East Slavic, it is like 'farting female' :)

[@chrishalle1982]

True but you can give birth to your child abroad where are no regulation and you can come back to germay with child with the name darth vader. If the child has the bname they cant forbit it anymore

[@axelk4921]

erinnert mich an den stress denn ich und meine (damalige ) frau hatten wie wir unserer Tochter den namen " LEIA " gaben...... -> es ging um die geschlechts deutung... ist das ein Mädchen Name... oder nicht JETZT nach dem Tod von Carrie Fisher haben es alle begriffen , und meine (mittlerweile ) 20 Jahre alte Tocher sagt " Endlich , können die meinen Namen richtig aussprechen " p.s. wir hatten auf den Standesamt richtig was zu lachen ...........! Copyright und so...... die wollten von uns die rechte, und meine Frau und Ich nur " wenden sie sich doch bitte an Georg Lukas "

[@Noxpolaris]

Axel K.? Heißt du etwa Kasten?

[@Alias_Anybody]

Das mit der Aussprache kann ich noch irgendwie nachvollziehen, aber dass "Leia" ein Mädchenname sein soll, erkennt wohl jeder Dummkopf.

[@axelk4921]

ist leider so gewesen..... ;) die beamten auf dem standesamt kamen nicht mit dem " I " in Leia klar.. die wollten unbedingt einen schriftlichen nachweis, das er so geschrieben wird und das es ein " Frauen name " ist

[@Alias_Anybody]

Axel K Musstet ihr ihnen als Beweis Star Wars auf VHS zeigen, oder was? xD

[@axelk4921]

siehe oben , die wollen das wir kopien aus den star wars romanen machen, wir gesagt copyright??? mussten die dann selbst einen besorgen und fragen ob sie die erlaubnis hätten das zu machen damit der name in die namensliste rein kommt die waren etwas angepisst weil sie geld für einen roman ausgeben mussten!!!

[@Axyo0]

I'm sorry but jihad specifically means fighting the "enemies of Islam", there is very little room for interpretation on that. You don't have to defend Islam at every opportunity

[@rewboss]

No, "jihad" means "struggle" or "striving". For most Muslims, this means a personal struggle against your own personal sin, or a striving for some worthy aim. It was the Wahhabi movement that re-interpreted it to mean armed warfare against Britain and Egypt. And please don't confuse my reporting of historical facts with "defending" a religion. The court ruled as it did for the reason I stated: that is an objective and documented fact. If you want my opinion, I have nothing against Islam, but I am vehemently opposed to Islamic fundamentalism (and I am also opposed to any form of fundamentalism).

[@Axyo0]

@@rewboss So I assume you also support people being allowed to openly display symbols like the swastika since they had a historically different meaning but were then "re-interpreted" by the Nazis? I don't have a problem with the name Djehad but there seems to be a lack of internal consistency.

[@rewboss]

Indeed, the swastika is perfectly fine even in Germany when used in the context of, for example, Hinduism or Buddhism. This has been established in court rulings, and I'm fine with that. Symbols of banned organisations are themselves banned specifically when used to promote those organisations -- this includes, by the way, the ISIS flag, since ISIS is also a banned organisation in Germany. More recently, you may have heard the news that the body regulating the classification of video games put out a statement clarifying that they consider video games to be art, and thus software companies don't have to edit all the swastikas out of German versions of WW2-themed games. In the case of the name Djehad, the authorities did need a lot of convincing before they allowed it. They were all set to refuse to allow it to be registered precisely because of its connection with violent Islamic extremism, but were persuaded that it was a common name which had nothing to do with violent Islamic extremism.

[@Axyo0]

@@rewboss Fair enough.

[@LawnMeower]

If I'll ever get a child I will name it C-3PO

[@raylion399]

Pepsi-Carola Krohn: *pathetic*

[@botigamer9011]

That boy maybe could be hearing the phrase "Djehad one job" at least once in his life

[@SteleCat]

I like it when Rewboss inserts a sly political quip, even if I don't agree with it.

[@r.b.4611]

What the fuck, you can't call your child Schmidt, Judas, or Darth Vader? Sure it's unusual, but come on that's just freedom. You should be free to name your child pretty much anything except things that are on their face offensive to the child, like giant-screwy-fuckface Schulte. Yes you open yourself up to corner cases like Michael Jackson's kid being called "Blanket", but don't worry, as long as there's the freedom to change your name they can escape the shit name their parents gave them, which is why Blanket is now known as "Bigi"... Actually the kid's name is "prince", and Blanket seems to have been a nickname, which makes me wonder why the hell he put up with that nickname for so long. Still I could imagine a case like the Jackson case except it was his legal name, but I think statistically those cases would be fairly infrequent, not that I can prove that. Oh and one more thing, if Djehad is allowed, then Judas should obviously be allowed by the same logic.

[@rewboss]

A child can't legally change their name until they reach a certain age, and in Germany it's not so easy to change your name. Basically, if the court gets involved, it's to speak on behalf of the child, whose rights not to be exposed to ridicule actually outweigh the rights of the parents to be selfish douchebags. The German constitution states very clearly that a person's dignity is inviolable -- in other words, every child has the constitutional right to dignity. The logic with allowing Djehad was that it is a perfectly normal name in the Arabic-speaking world, and the parents were Egyptians. The Muslim concept of Jihad is actually not about terrorism at all, but more the inner (peaceful) struggle to lead a virtuous life. If Germans have got the idea that Jihad is about "holy war", that's ignorance, and not the fault of the parents. Judas, on the other hand, is not a common name in the Christian world, and the character Judas was written in the New Testament specifically as a petty thief who betrayed his best friend into the hands of his executioners. Not that the Djehad case was straightforward: it was actually very controversial at the time, and in fact went through three different courts. But it was pointed out that a number of other Arabic-speaking families in Germany had been allowed to call their sons Djehad, before the concept of Jihad had become synonymous with terrorism, and nobody had raised any objections then. But when you have a system that works on a case-by-case basis like this, you're likely to get inconsistencies: that's the disadvantage of this method.

[@Flat84]

The freedom/right argument is always tricky. Your freedom as a parent can come into conflict with the rights of the child, just like freedom of speech isn't limitless once it starts infringing on your fellow persons rights. Here in Norway we have similar rules, basically stating that the child cannot be given a name that is likely to cause undue problems for the child. This applies to the best of my knowledge only to the first given name, and there is more flexibility on middle name. So parents that insist on exotic names can do so as middle name, use this in daily life, but leave the child with a more conventional name he/she can use until such time where they can legally change their name if they so desire.

[@accutus]

correct me if i´m wrong but there are at least two kind of jihads: the big one or the inner struggle as you explained and the small one which is in fact a real war with fighting and death and all that sort of nonsense. so its not just ignorance on germans behalf if germans get the idea of a holy war, because it is true too. or am i wrong?

[@Dostwyn]

Your right as a parent ends where the right of your child begins, and the child has the right to a normal life that's not filled with derision and mockery because of a name like Jar-Jar Binks, Diet Coke, or Rumpelstiltskin.

[@NicolaW72]

Btw.: The German physician and writer Georg Christoph Lichtenberg wrote even in the 1790ies an essay about how some Americans called their children. He wrote about a man named Ifjesuschristhaventdiedforyouyouwouldbedamned Smith - in short Damned Smith for his friends - and a woman named Brandywine Taylor. In the 19th century their was a similar trend in Germany: In the 1890ies their occured a huge sex scandal at the court of Emperor Wilhelm II. - and in the centre of that scandal was an aristocrat named Leberecht von Kotze (i.e. "Live Honorable from S.it") (translating his name word for word into English: Yes!). I don´t think such names are a good tradition and parents should be given the freedom to burden such names onto their childs! @rewboss has explained it very well, thank you!

[@jensschroder8214]

I think, with Adolf as name, you get a problem. But try Rudolf, without Red Nose Rendeer ;-)

[@robertnett9793]

It's not as widely known as Adolf. Literally everyone on the planet knows of one particular Adolf, while Rudolf (I guess you play on Rudolf Hess here) is still more obscure. Because in that case you would have a sleugh of basic German names associated with Third Reich notorious people you can't use anymore.

[@Ul.B]

Rudolf or Rudolph is not a problem in Germany. In addition, the name is often shortened to Rudi. Incidentally, Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer is not part of any German Christmas story. However, it is still possible to give children names of former Nazi greats (Heinrich, Adolf, Rudolf, ...). That's not forbidden. At a butcher I know, all male heirs have always been named Heinrich for decades.

[@strawberryjam3670]

not really first (although my counter shows me) but here before you >:D

[@ThamiorSilberdrache]

So the registrars persuaded someone not to name his child Perdita because it has a Latin meaning almost nobody knows, but on the other hand they allow an increasing number of girls beeing called "Xanthippe" although anybody with at least basic common knowledge should know that "eine Xanthippe" is a cantankerous old women (reffering to the wife of the greek philosopher Sokrates...)? And although the are told not to allow names that are bound to cause harrassment at some age, they allow the name "Lana" which is just plainly stupid because at some point, children will always check how their name sounds backwards and if you read "Lana" from behind... (I think the flat pun should make the point clear...) Stupid!

[@Dualgas]

I don't agree with the last one. "Lana" is a real name, being the feminine of "Alan". I mean any name can be have an anagram which isn't too pleasant. "J.B" (John Bernard) is a relatively common name here in Ireland. Children are cruel and many will find any reason at all to bully another. But even then, even if your name backwards means something silly in a foreign language, is that really going to be enough fuel for bullies for any long period of time?

[@christopher6651]

No way its aschaffenburg, living there too🇩🇪

[@HeliouHyios]

Borussia isn`t a sports team...sure there are some who have this name in their title but Borrusia is just latin for Prussia (The name of the former German Kingdom Preußen and the east regions)....there is also a sports team called "Preußen Münster"...as a second name Borrusia should be aloud in my humble opinion^^

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

For that it would first need to be accepted to use place names as given names. But then, the fact that most people know Borussia only as sports team is a good reason why it wouldn't be that great as first name.

[@darrenrenna]

I remember first hearing about these name guidelines in first year German when I was 15---thank you for clarifying

[@KyleKartan87]

Weird thing "Borussia" is in fact the name of a mythological woman: The embodyment of Prussia and you just can't choose prince, lord etc. as a first name. As a second it's no problem since we don't have a monachy anymore and so those peole don't have any title more.

[@julianegner5997]

That is not true - the Titles still exist. A friend of mine has the title "Freiherr" as part of his Name.

[@BigSteveH21]

In Quebec, it's practically impossible to change your legal name (even if you weren't born there, only live there) unless the use of your legal name will expose you to ridicule. Is it similar in Germany? Here in Ontario, you can pretty much change your name as you please.

[@ReasonIsTreason1]

It's similar here at least. You'll most likely need a letter from a psychologist stating why your name needs to be changed. The reasons for changing your name are endless I believe, you just need some really convincing arguments. (For example, it's also possible to change your name when you were named after someone who abused you later in life.)

[@ulipeterson6112]

so i cant name my son "Darth Vader Schmitt"? shit...

[@moatl6945]

Gibt es für das Video einen »Hintergrund«, bzw. wann kann ich vorbeikommen, um das _Weisert_ abzugeben? ;)

[@sirsulo9102]

Hey, just wanted to say, that "Transsexual" is often seen as having negativ conotations or out-dated. Most Trans-people prefer "Transgender" :) I assume you don't have bad intentions, just wanted to let you know.

[@arminiusdescendant8022]

The judge who tells me that I can't name my daughter "Borussia" is telling bullshit: "Borussia" is the personal name of the female symbol figure for "Prussia", as "Saxonia" is the one for "Saxony", "Bavaria" those to "Bavaria" and so on. "Arminia" is also the name of the football team "Arminia Bielefeld". But "Arminia" is the female form for "Arminius" which is the name of the German national hero who won the battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 AD againt the Romans.

[@arminiusdescendant8022]

A candidate for the next chancellor in Germany is called Armin which is a current first name here.

[@robertnett9793]

Well, the base idea is, that a name - how fond you might be of - shouldn't expose your child to problems / ridicule later in life. Ok, so you call your child Borussia. Living in Dortmund for example would work, I guess. But now you move, your child still in school-age to Köln... You really want your child live this hell she is about experience?

[@arminiusdescendant8022]

@@robertnett9793 That's true. So don't call your daughter Borussia, Alemannia or Arminia, although the short male form of Arminia, Armin fpr Arminius, is in fact a common name. Our praetendent for chancellor, called Armin Laschet, is named so.

[@robertnett9793]

@@arminiusdescendant8022 Yes. Armin is - funny enough - no problem at all. But that's just how language and perception of it by people works. Meanings of words change over time, similiar sounding words can instill complete different reactions... humans are weird like this.