China forces name changes on people with unusual names.

[Zanza]

I'm actually surprised you can name your boy "Sundance" in Germany.

I am more surprised about "Frieden Mit Gott Allein Durch Jesus Christus" as a male first name. 

[Syt]

I'm actually surprised you can name your boy "Sundance" in Germany.

I am more surprised about "Frieden Mit Gott Allein Durch Jesus Christus" as a male first name. 

The explanation says that it was chosen and registered somewhere else which is why the courts had to accept it.

[DontSayBanana]

It also keeps the courts in bread and butter.

You have some examples of court decisions here:
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vornamen#Deutschland
The first table is names that the courts accepted. The second table are names that are acceptable if an additional name is chosen that clearly defines the gender of the child. The third table lists rejected names (e.g. Rosa or Christin for a boy, Beauregard, Moon Unit, Mechipchamueh ...)

I thought my teacher was joking about the Moon Unit example; didn't realize it was that commonly used. Incidentally, why would Beauregard be rejected? I've known a couple of Beauregards (although each went by Bo), and the name didn't seem that absurd to me.

[Eddie Teach]

It also keeps the courts in bread and butter.

You have some examples of court decisions here:
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vornamen#Deutschland
The first table is names that the courts accepted. The second table are names that are acceptable if an additional name is chosen that clearly defines the gender of the child. The third table lists rejected names (e.g. Rosa or Christin for a boy, Beauregard, Moon Unit, Mechipchamueh ...)

I thought my teacher was joking about the Moon Unit example; didn't realize it was that commonly used. Incidentally, why would Beauregard be rejected? I've known a couple of Beauregards (although each went by Bo), and the name didn't seem that absurd to me.

Frank Zappa named his kid Moon Unit. If it's taken off you can give him(and the mother) 99% of the blame for that.

[PDH]

I am all for purging people with unusal names.

Xenon Persepolis Bongwater Mooseditch-Afrococteautwin Smythe.

I think that is right.  Of course, there should only be one me, but all the others have no need of differentiation.

[Martim Silva]

I'm torn. On one hand I can see how having 15% of your population named "John Smith" can be a problem. On the other ahnd you don't want everyone to go Le-A (LeeDASHa) or J'vonte' or Ja'breic.

We here in Portugal have a similar thing: the government created a list of "national" names, and when your kid is born, he/she must have a name that is included on the list. If it isn't, you can't name him/her that.

(and partially because some maternities are less strict about this, there are about 20,000 people in the country that officially 'do not exist' because they have weird names) 

On the opposite side of the spectrum we have Brazil, where anything goes. As a result, there are people who were named after their title in the soccer World Cup.

Or worse, like Oto Masturbando de Oliveira [yes, it does mean 'masturbating'. And I'm not making this up].

Another were five brothers: Estrosner, Estlayne, Heristart Ener, Elistrasner and Hetierlen Rabelche. 

Generally, the idea is to avoid major problems for the kids in the future (similar for giving too many first names).

How do nobles get around that? IIRC, they love to have six mile long names - it's part of their heritage.

[Josquius]

We here in Portugal have a similar thing: the government created a list of "national" names, and when your kid is born, he/she must have a name that is included on the list. If it isn't, you can't name him/her that.

(and partially because some maternities are less strict about this, there are about 20,000 people in the country that officially 'do not exist' because they have weird names) 
[/quote]

What about immigrants? (yes, even in Portugal :p)

[Razgovory]

It also keeps the courts in bread and butter.

You have some examples of court decisions here:
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vornamen#Deutschland
The first table is names that the courts accepted. The second table are names that are acceptable if an additional name is chosen that clearly defines the gender of the child. The third table lists rejected names (e.g. Rosa or Christin for a boy, Beauregard, Moon Unit, Mechipchamueh ...)

I thought my teacher was joking about the Moon Unit example; didn't realize it was that commonly used. Incidentally, why would Beauregard be rejected? I've known a couple of Beauregards (although each went by Bo), and the name didn't seem that absurd to me.

Yeah Beauregard doesn't seem totally off the wall.

[Caliga]

Beauregard is a great name. REMEMBER FIRST MANASSAS 

[Ed Anger]

Beauregard is a great name.

For a dog.

[Caliga]

Hey, great idea.  If I ever get a dog I was gonna make him wear a Stars and Bars bandana anyway.