That was certainly the view of a French family judge who refused to allow a couple to name their daughter “Nutella” after the chocolate hazelnut spread.
In France, if is considered giving a child name which is not their interest, the state prosecutor can refer the case to the family court as family judges have the right to remove names from the register of births.
According to the French newspaper “La Voix Du Nord” the judge stated that giving the girl the name of the chocolate spread was deemed to be contrary to the interests of the child and could lead to her being teased and subject to disparaging thoughts. The parents did not attend the court hearing and the judge substituted the name “Ella” in its place.
In the same report parents were prevented from naming their daughter “Fraise” (Strawberry) and instead opted for “Fraisine”, a name used in the 19th century which was approved by the judge.
Up until 1993 there was a register in France of names parents were permitted to call their children.
It is not only France which has these restrictions, many countries have rules on what children can be called.
In this country the “Nutella” case seems rather bizarre. Under English law parents can call their children what they want. The same applies in the USA. It is interesting from a legal perspective to see how different jurisdictions deal with issues such as a child’s first name.
The French approach may be deemed by some to be over paternalistic but others may say that the state should intervene more to prevent children having unconventional names.
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