Baby Can't Be Named "Friday"

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How ridiculous is this? Blows my mind. Can hardly believe it's true. What about you?

Court Says Baby Can't Be Named 'Friday'
By ALESSANDRA RIZZO, AP
51 minutes ago

ROME — What's in a name? If the name is Friday, shame and ridicule, according to Italian judges who forbade a couple from naming their child like the character in "Robinson Crusoe."

"They thought that it recalled the figure of a savage, thus creating a sense of inferiority and failing to guarantee the boy the necessary decorum," the couple's lawyer, Paola Rossi, said Wednesday.

The couple are considering appealing the decision to Italy's highest court, she said.

Mara and Roberto Germano, whose son was born on Sept. 3, 2006, had the boy named and baptized Venerdi, Italian for Friday.

Even though the boy was not born on a Friday ��� it was Sunday ��� his parents liked the name, said Rossi.

"They wanted an unusual name, something original, and it did not seem like a shameful name," Rossi said in a telephone interview. "We think it calls to mind the day of the week rather than the novel's character."

Since city hall officials are obliged by law to report odd names, the matter ended up before judges in Genoa, the northern Italian city where the couple live.

Last month, an appeals court stated that Friday falls into the category of the "ridiculous or shameful" names that are barred by law, as it recalled the native servant in Daniel Defoe's novel.

The judges wrote that naming somebody Friday would bar him from "serene interpersonal relationships" and would turn the boy into the "laughing stock of his group," according to a report in La Repubblica this week.

According to the daily, the judges also said that, as a day of the week, Friday raises a sentiment of sadness and penitence, when not being associated with bad luck outright.

Rossi said the court, which upheld a previous ruling made in June, also ordered the boy to be named Gregorio after the saint on whose day he was born.

Last edited by cosmiccat on 19 Dec 2007, 12:17 pm, edited 3 times in total.

Very silly, but it is an odd and confusing name for a person.

There are people named Tuesday. But I guess not in Rome. I don't think Friday is all that bad. Trust me, I've seen some bad names.

Fletcher Christian's first son was named Thursday October Christian

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thursday_October_Christian

There are far worse ones in the U.S. Like s**thead. Pronounced Shi- theed. Happened at a hospital. I swear it.

Venerdi, Italian for Friday, seems like a nice name to me.

And as Busy1 pointed out, Tuesday is rather common, in some parts of the world, at least, and would be Martedí in Italian.

They could be called Vene & Marte. But really, the issue is, should the church or state be able to dictate what you name your child? That's the issue here.

I agree with you, Busy1. There are some pretty ridiculous names floating around. Some of them sound like the parents threw out a handful of random scrabble letters and made a name out of it.


Too cool, Panda. Great link.



Now that would be cruel and unusual. I would worry about a kid being named that.

My nephew was born on Ground Hog's Day, and my brother-in-law wanted to name him "Ground Hog" but my sister wouldn't allow it. Thank God.

And then, there's always that "Boy Named Sue".

Remember, too...the little girl in the television show, "The Addams Family" was named Wednesday.

And it suited her perfectly. I can't imagine her with any other name.?

BTW, I've added a poll. Not sure if the options are good enough. What do you think? Is it redundant or should I add another?

Yes, I think this was a hoax if I recalled. But I did read that.

It probably was. A friend who had a friend who worked at a hospital supposedly was there. . . .sounds like a perfect urban legend, actually. I just think its funny so I never bothered to look it up on snopes.

That's really dumb considering the horrible names that cruel parents have actually gotten away with

I didn't think they were like that in Italy. I have known or heard of people named

September
January
August
Winter
Summer
Autumn
Christmas
Easter
Seven

So really, Friday is not that out there.

There are (or were) already plenty of people named Friday, as well as Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Look them up at Behind the Name. Interestingly, the more popular ones in this thread (Tuesday and Wednesday) aren't among the usual listings there, but are instead user-submitted.

Anyway, people come up with all kinds of silly names. I understand the need for some regulation, or certain parents may name their children absurd and abusive names. But if the parents really have good intent, I don't see why they should be stopped. See, however, the name Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116.

Wow. What lengths people will go to in order to defy a law they don't like.

My mom used to take pictures of newborns at a hospital, and she encountered some weird baby names. However, there was this one father named "Lord Devine". And you'd think if his parents gave him such a bad name, he'd know better for his kid. But no, he named him "Lordborn".
P.S. I wonder what would happen if Lord called someone with caller ID. Since it usually says the last name first, would it say "Divine Lord"? That could scare someone looking at it. Reminds me of an urban legend about a suicidal person and "Almighty God". http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/a/almightygod.htm

The girl from Serenity/Firefly.

Her name is River.

Whats wrong with a name like that?