Post by FWS on Jun 27, 2014 11:35:31 GMT -6
Why you can't be called Duncan in Iceland
British-Icelandic couple appeal against ruling by Icelandic authorities that their children's names – Duncan and Harriet – cannot appear on passport due to strict Christian name policy
Iceland has a strict list of 1,853 female and 1,712 male sanctioned names Photo: Getty Images
By Andrew Marszal
Telegraph.uk
27 Jun 2014
A British father and Icelandic mother have launched an appeal against a government decision not to renew their 10-year-old daughter's passport because she has an "ineligible" Christian name.
The couple, from Kópavogur, have for years travelled with their children Harriet and Duncan using passports featuring the names "Girl" and "Boy" because neither of their names are recognised by the country's strict National Registry of permissible names.
But when they came to renew Harriet's passport ahead of a planned family holiday to France, authorities decided to enforce a law banning the issue of any official document to people who do not have an "approved Icelandic name".
Parents in Iceland must choose from a list of 1,853 female and 1,712 male sanctioned names when naming their children. If they intend to opt for something more adventurous they must apply for permission from the Icelandic Naming Committee .
The list was created under a 1996 act intended to preserve the Icelandic language. Names are only approved if they can be conjugated in Icelandic, and must be "written in accordance with the ordinary rules of Icelandic orthography", according to the law.
Those wishing to name their children by names not on the list must appeal, and prove that the names fit this strict criteria.
Some have enjoyed success recently. Last year a woman called Blær – whose name translates to "Light Breeze" – won the right to be officially known by her given name, as opposed to "Girl".
However, Harriet was rejected on the grounds that "It can't be conjugated in Icelandic," said Tristan Cardew, the children's father.
Thankfully, the possibility that the row would cause the family to miss their holiday to France were averted after the parents successfully applied for an emergency UK passport from the British embassy.
