E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
Anna Andersen / AP file
Icelandic teenager Blaer Bjarkardottir, 15, left, seen with her mother Bjork Eidsdottir, won the right to use her first name Thursday.
An Icelandic teenager referred to as "Girl" by the island nation’s authorities was finally given the right to use her own first name by a court Thursday, according to reports.
Blaer Bjarkardottir’s first name means "breeze" in Icelandic and was not on a list of approved names or otherwise permitted by the authorities.
The English-language website News of Iceland reported that the Icelandic Naming Committee had previously ruled that Blaer was only a man’s name.
But on Thursday a district court in Reykjavik ruled that it could also be used as a girl’s name, it added.
"I am very happy... Finally, I'll have the name 'Blaer' in my passport," the 15-year-old said, according to the Iceland Review Online, which added that her request for $3,950 in damages was rejected by the court.
Previously the authorities had recorded her first name in the National Registry as Stulka, which simply means girl.
According to the island.is website, which is run by the government, the "Personal Names Register" includes "all Icelandic names that have been approved," but people can apply for permission to use names not on the list.
Embarrassing names not allowed
Names must be "adaptable to the structure of the Icelandic language and spelling conventions" and also "not cause the bearer embarrassment."
"I'm proud of my name," said the Icelandic girl whose passport says her name is just "Girl." However, Girl was baptized Blaer, Icelandic for "breeze." The government committee, which must approve all first names, has rejected Blaer because it is a masculine name. NBC's Annabel Roberts reports.
"Girls should be given a female name and boys should be given male names. No person can have more than three personal names," it adds.
Blaer's mother, Bjork Eidsdottir, previously told The Associated Press that she had "no idea that the name wasn’t on the list" and only learned this after Blaer was baptized by a priest, who later told her he had mistakenly allowed it.
"Blaer is a perfectly Icelandic name," she added. "It seems like a basic human right to be able to name your child what you want, especially if it doesn't harm your child in any way."
People in Iceland are usually referred to by their first names — with even President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson addressed simply as Olafur.
Surnames are usually based on either their mother or father’s first name. Bjarkardottir means daughter of Bjork.
Professor Armann Jakobsson, of the University of Iceland’s faculty of Icelandic and comparative cultural studies, said he thought Blaer was "a good name" for a woman and "more or less established now."
He said Blaer was used as a female name in a novel by Iceland's Nobel Prize-winning author Halldor Laxness, prompting other people to use it.
A girl called 'mistake'?
Armann, the son of Jakob, said the decisions of the naming committee were at times "very controversial."
He said there were lots of urban myths about names in Iceland. Two female names that are allowed are Mist and Eyk, prompting jokes that a baby girl could be given a name that sounds like "mistake," he said, although he was unaware of an actual example.
"The average person doesn’t understand the logic behind the law. The average person thinks the committee should ban silly names, rather than foreign-sounding names," he said.
"I think the committee is really unpopular, but I think many people want to have laws about this," he added.
"But there are also people who criticize this and say there should be no laws about names, but then they say [people] should not be allowed to be called Satan or Lucifer … or a number."
Leave a Comment:
"was not on a list of approved names or otherwise permitted by the authorities."
WOW, and some here say their freedoms are being taken away (without telling which freedoms they have lost).
The United States tends to be very culturally myopic, and I don't expect them to understand why Icelandic first names can't be left up to the will of anyone who walks in. But when officials are referred to by their first names only, Children are referred to by the first names of their parents, etc. having a terrible name can be crippling to a person's prospects of happiness and being accepted for a job, or as a spouse (no Icelandic person in their right mind would doom their kid's future by marrying someone with a terrible name).
Off topic, I know, but I have to just say that the mother and daughter are exceptionally beautiful. That never hurts rallying a cause.
But seriously, countries with histories stretching back to medieval times have a lot of baggage that needs to be shed over time. When I was born in 1960 it was still legal in the USA to say that you wanted a man for the job, or that a place was "whites only". Traditions rooted in history don't change until there is an accumulation of pressure to change them.
The Icelandic people are all exceptionally good-looking.
That is because they have very little diversity. They are all the same race and the people are beautiful because of the lack of race mixing. The Icelandic people are some of the best looking people on the planet.
Well if I lived there, I'd name my kid "F#ck the Committee"...
Logan-1976070, Icelandic people are indeed beautiful, but some of the most beautiful people I've ever seen were of mixed-race heritage. Mixing races does NOT result in ugly, as you imply.
Names NOT approved for use include"
Byhtmi
upjorse
kizmiahzz
Blojmi
stuphit
steuphidfukk
A government telling the people what they can name their kids. Give me a break.
They look more like sisters. Healthy living in Iceland. Beautiful women. You go, Girl!
Logan: seriously? Icelandic people are beautiful because of the lack of diversity? Racist, much? Mixing races/genes makes a people stronger, and the offspring are frequently beautiful. Yours was one of the dumbest posts I've read in a while. Perhaps your parents and grandparents 'kept it in the family' in order to avoid mixing blood with others - I hear that dumbs down a population significantly!
very inventive Jeff! (or as Mr. Burns would say, "Excellent"!).
How can Bjork be acceptable and Blaer is not?
On a side note, reading the article reminds me of the Ikea catalog or their assembly instructions.
No offense to Nordic folks, Jeff - that was funny, a few more "j"s and "v"s would have made it harder to pronounce and breathe at the same time.
@Byron Raum - Oh? What happened with Björk Guðmundsdóttir, then?
We should move a lot of African-Americans and white American teen mothers to Iceland. That would put a lot of pressure on the Naming Committee.
Oh some of our freedoms taken away, 1) to board a plane w/out being frisk, when you are totally innocent, 2 the freedom to drive a car as an adult w/out having to buckle up, if I die I die, 3) The freedom to buy a gun and not have to tell what it is for.....The freedom to talk on the phone and not have to worry that ...oh maybe the govt agencies can bug it w/out your knowledge because they can.....all for the protection of who???Good people??? and the list goes on and on and on.
Agreed. It's myopic to name kids "Dweezle", "Moon Unit", or "Chaz" (female).
Agreed again. It would be myopic and career-ending to name an official "I Want to Screw You in the Rear Biden."
I can understand the refusal to allow certain names. But, the idea that "Breeze" is not OK but "Girl" is OK seems a little extreme to me. I guess the question is, is there a point at which a name is "inherently" abusive? It wasn't that long about about the story out of PA where the parents called their kid Adolf Hitler. Is that inherently abusive and thus, should be banned? What about Sony and Cher naming their girl "Chastity?" No, I don't think that government should be determining children's names. But, I do wonder about a lot of parents why I see in my local small town newspaper the monthly review of newborns in the county hospital. I guess, once you give the government the authority to ban names, then it's no surprise that the approved list is a lot smaller than people would like. Such is the nature of government authority.
I think the Icelandic Naming Committee would have a stroke at the sight of some of the names here in the US.
They should have a law like that in the U.S. to protect children from being given inappropriate names by their idiotic parent. I've lived with my name 61 years now. I figured if my mother was woman enough to have me, I was man enough to wear the name she gave me. Over the years I've become numb to being ridicule to the point where fellow male workers don’t even bother anymore. They’ve learned by my actions that the name doesn’t make the man. What I’ve accomplished in life, more often than not, out shines their own accomplishments. I am a leader of men and woman. But still, there are those moments in life that I could have done without. I was admitted to the hospital and wheel chaired to the women’s section of the hospital. Not a major embarrassment, but none-the-less a situation I could have done without. No, I will not give my first name. It’s so rare for a man to have that name that if you Google it, you will find out who I am. Thanks again Mom!
I don't suppose it's Carroll or Leslie?
hey hoosier, driving a car is not a "freedom", it's a priviledge. Pass a test, buy insurance, live within state driving laws, then you will have earned the freedom to drive.
I feel sorry for some of the "uniquely" named children of today. I'm fairly educated and I can't even pronounce most of them. How are these children supposed to learn how to make sense of the ABC's and the basic rules of grammar with these "unique" names? They'll be in 2nd grade by the time they learn how to spell their first names. Back in the late 90's, I worked for a major construction company and one of the head honcho's names was Bill Grewcock. I thought you poor bastard...how bad did you get bullied in high school? But I'd say he got the last laugh because he is worth tens of millions of dollars. I guess there isn't much your parents can do about your last name but c'mon...at least give your kid a chance and start them off with a good first name! Lol
I see some of our idiocy is rubbing off on other nations.
What an absolutely silly comment! Our government does nothing remotely resembling this action by the Icelandic government.
The only thing you accomplished with your comment was to reveal yourself as being anti-government and being not very rational.
Never trust the government. Our government is not here to protect you or provide for you. And one day the government will stop doing those things and make people earn their so called entitlements!
Don, so what if he is anti-government? I am, are you going to call up big brother and have a SWAT van pick me up?
logan
The government is the instrument that allows us to do those things together that are difficult or impossible to do individually. If you want to be a hermit go for it, but all of us do better as a community.
rerere
I clearly have far less fears of the "government coming to get me" than you do. I do not intend to tell the government anything about either of you, but you each have my pity.
The larger and more complex a society becomes, the larger and more complex a government must become. Otherwise you end up with the libertarian paradise of Somalia. Go for it logan, no real government to interfere with your freedoms there.
Im pretty sure he means idiocy as in naming your kid "Breeze", in America crazy random names are more and more common. Although I think there's nothing wrong with that, be unique! But I think ou all misunderstood his comment.
Translation: The government is the instrument that allows us to do those things we want to people we don't like without fear of retribution.
don97524
Don. If you do not fear our Government, then I pity YOU. They are chipping away at (y)our rights a little at a time and soon will own you. If you do not see this and that the government is growing faster and faster and trying to control your every move, than you are both blind and deaf.
Trust me, I am keeping a close eye on the government and trying to get them back under control and doing what they are supposed to do and not be our mothers.
Are Laquesha or Barack on the list of acceptable names in Iceland ??
No. They do not fit the spelling requirements nor the cultural prerequisites. Sorry, you'll have to have your kids in the U.S. where anything goes. I think some in the U.S. make up names when they are under the influence of drugs used in delivery.
BW .... isn't "anything goes" just another way of saying "freedom"?
You have the freedom to name your kids whatever you want here, but your kids don't have the freedom not to be stuck with a horrible name (at least until they're 18). My cousins Sunshine and Rainbow don't have it too bad, but then you get names like Blue Ivy and Hashtag and Placenta and Danzanita (that last one is a kid in my son's kindergarten class!)
don't forget the Boy named Sue..hahaha
I heard of a person naming their kid ABCDE, pronounces absada. Good luck on that kid making it in the world.
inmissouri
Yeah, I knew a girl in high school with the name Sunshine. Never really thought much about it, other than a guess that her parents were old hippies. Generally, it's not a bad name. But it wasn't until some time later that I realized that her last name was... Overturf. Sunshine Overturf. It's hard to believe that something like that isn't intentional, and after that point, I just felt sorry for her.
In this case, I understand that Iceland has it's own traditions and cultural heritage, and I don't begrudge or judge them for their social mores. But I am glad to know she won.
In MO
I don't understand why you have a problem with this name.
Don-
I just feel sorry for the kid because even though it sounds pretty, she's set up for a lifetime of having to explain to everyone how to pronounce and spell her name. I also read an article not too long ago about how people with 'creative' names are less likely to get a call for an interview when looking for a job.
I grew up with a pretty simple 6 letter long last name. It was an uncommon name, and was constantly misspelled and mispronounced. While I like the name, it was a relief when I married and took hubby's more common last name. Both my kids got classic (but not too unusual or too popular) names.
A name is the first gift parents give their kids and should choose it wisely. I can't imaging living somewhere where the government tells you what you can and can't name your own children. I do think if parents give their child a name that indicates the parents are disturbed - such as naming a kid Satin, Hitler or Fatass - then social services should make sure something abusive isn't going on. Most new parents get an awful lot of feedback from family and friends on the proposed names, so there's a mechanism in place to make parents give names a second thought. But in the end, it's the parents' choice. And kids can change the name they use long before 18 if they want, and legally after 18.
My real name (first and last) is unusual. I have to repeat it and spell it and it's still usually spelled incorrectly, but I have never regretted that my parents gave me this name. I was named after someone whom they both admired. In my area, now there are many with my same name or a variation of it, spelled differently. Not that they were named so because of me, they just liked the name.
There was someone in a PE class I took in college named Star Tinkle. I think it's a great name for a character in a light romantic book, but in real life?
@inmissouri - Is there some other way to pronounce it besides Dan's Anita ?
If you have a problem pronouncing Danzanita, you likely cannot tell my name rhymes with car, either.
Barak is a Hebrew Name. It's in the Bible. And I bet you thought you were Christian. :P
Laquesha... um.. I think is made up.
By you.
Nice snark there, Darr.
There could be several ways to pronounce it. It looks latin based, so it would likely be pronounced "Donz Anita. Then you would be aware that the accent would likely make it DonzaNIta, but it might be pronounced DONZanita.
You make yourself look unschooled with comments like that.
@warrren re: post #3.4
Don't believe everything you hear. They boy wasn't named Sue to make a man of him.
His father was an ambulance-chasing lawyer.
Darr- you'd think that, but I've seen what people can do with my much simpler maiden name.
(Bet there's at least a few people out there that would try to pronounce your name Dare-er)
journal journal
No Laquesha is not made up.
Laquesha. Lawanda, Luwanda, Shawana, on and on.
I just think I wana throw up.
Glad she won. Good for her. It is tough to win against the government
Freedom. It does mean something to people like "Dweezle Zappa". Republicans re-passed the Patriot Act without hesitation where numerous rights protected under the Bill of Rights were stripped yet are absolute on the 2nd amendment of the Bill of Rights regarding assault rifles and high capacity magazines. The only possible conclusion, our Congress is blatantly under the thumb of the NRA and in the pockets of the gun manuf. lobby.
Dweezle was OK with his name, but I think his brother, Motorhead, legally changed his name when he came of age.
actually, dweezle's sibblings are named Ommit, Moon Unit, and i think there's another, but have to leave for work, no time for google...
Frank Zappa's kids are named Moon (Unit), Dweezil, Ahmet (Rodan), and Diva (Thin Muffin). Middle names in parentheses.
I know a kid who thought his name was "dammit Darren!". Really.
@tracontech - That's because they weren't paying attention when the Patriot Acts were passed. Also, there were anthrax letters being mailed out to those to disagreed (Tom Daschle for one).
tracontech
Please take aluminum foil OFF your head!
really, perhaps you should research if Obama signed a Patriot Act extension. Too much effort required on your part probably, wouldn't want to cause you to question your previous voting for any reason.
While I don't agree with naming your kids after hitler or something ridiculous like Apple or Pilot Inspektor, I also don't agree with the government deciding what you can name your kids. But for your children's sake, if you can't spell PLEASE have someone who can fill out official forms. Your child will thank you later on.
I actually knew a girl who thought she had named her kid after someone she had a crush on in high school but it turns out she got his name wrong and I'm actually the one who pointed it out to her. there was an awkward silence after that.
I am so glad I read this important article, well news-worthy, I now know so much more than before, keep leaning forward nbc....
Does someone have a gun to your head forcing you to read things you don't want to read? Or, maybe you're such a jackass that you have no friends and this is your way of getting attention...
Well now, it's a good thing we don't have an approval council here in the U.S.A. With strict standards like that we may not have anyone with names like most of those people on Maury Povich, which are a staple of the show.
We could probably use this rule in this country. Some of these parents just go way overboard with these names. I feel sorry for the children.
Maybe they should have rules like that for Newsvine. Some folks have crazy screen names here.
Where was the naming committee when i was born!!!
Is cornwholio like imitation butter-fukk?
The concept of naming committees is unAmerican. :-)
Well, they are not in America, so problem solved.
Good thing her name wasn't Moon Unit.
Congrats to Blaer!
Soon, when a child is born, a list of allowed names will be presented to you to choose from. Or, who knows, maybe authorities will just dictate the new name to you.
I hope whoever does end up with the job recognizes that people need to be able to sit down at this industry's table and eat. There's no reason cannabis can't enjoy the same rights and privileges as purveyors of alcohol.
You will never find someone named Habibi, Mohammed or Jose in Iceland.
Maybe Bjose?
Here in Charleston, SC there is a doctor named Strait Fairey
I also worked with a man whose first name is Royal his last name is Payne. His parents had a sense of humor!
And a sister named Sasha, who married into the Diaz family, i.e., Sasha Payne-Diaz.
Years ago, the famous NBA star Elgin Baylor was explaining to Johhny Carson how he came by his first name.
Seems mom was in labor for over twenty hours and dad was nervously waiting the arrival. After the baby was born, dad was with hospital admin filling out the birth certificate.
He was very tired and when he was asked for the baby's name, he thought they had asked him what kind of watch he was wearing!
There was a Lear family that named their daughter Chrystal Chanda. True story.
I also used to know a lady named Kandy Mann. She said when she was in grade school, two of her friends had odd names, too. I cannot remember then right now, though.
Hey, look at that. Despite all the carrying on about Iceland being some sort of freedom-loathing state where you can't name your kid whatever you want, the court overturned the prohibition. See, democratic governments respond to the will of the people.
My ex insisted on naming our daughter with a stupid first name (I'll not mention it here, but it was much worse than the equivalent of 'Breeze') but I fought for (and won) a decent middle name (Elizabeth). My daughter started using 'Liz' when she was in high school (much easier for her teachers & classmates). She is now 24 and only those of us in the family know her 'real' name. She figures one day she'll make it official (legal name change) with my blessing.
I was always glad I had a relatively common name (out of the bible). Kids at school couldn't make much of it (and they tried).
However, in spite of good intentions, you can't legislate STUPID out of existence....
You can't eliminate stupid from legistation, either.
Tea Party science, just like "legitimate rape".
Blaer is a beautiful name. Congratulations, young lady.
You go, Girl! ;)
2/10 Would not bang.... has a man's name
This news article is a followup from the previous one and using the same mom daughter picture. The previous one was about blaer sueing her government to accept blaer name. I just want to know why this news is significant to take a spot in the homepage for nbc news?
Is it because iceland is so peaceful, that the only news is a fight against government for a name? --pretty news too.
I use to think that blair is a girl's name and that blair comes from some remote viking village or something. The only thing usefull for me is knowledge that blaer maybe origin for blare; and that blaer is orginally a guy's name; and that blair is now acceptable unisex name by icelandic government. All these sounds like a blare for news too.