Court bans couple from naming newborn after historical figure over bullying fears
Topics: News, Parenting, World News
Niamh Shackleton
Featured Image Credit: TV Globo
Topics: News, Parenting, World News
A couple from Brazil were initially told they could not give their son the name they had chosen for him.
It's not uncommon for parents wanting to give their child a name that will stand out, but there are rules across the globe that stops moms and dads from giving their kids a name that's a bit too out there.
For example, last year a set of parents from the UK underwent a legal battle in a bid to name their son Lucifer.
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Most people will link the name to the devil, but Dan and Mandy Sheldon insisted that they didn't pick the moniker for satanic reasons but because wanted a ‘nice, strong’ name after ‘struggling’ to come up with one.
After filing an official complaint, the couple went on to be allowed to give their son the name they'd chosen.
And a similar ordeal has happened in Brazil recently when Danillo and Catarina Prímola wanted to name their newborn baby after a historical figure.
The new parents opted to name their son Piyé after the first black Egyptian pharaoh which, in Brazilian, translates to Piié on paper.
But officials feared that the boy would get bullied for the name due to it sound similar to a ballet move known as plié.
Explaining their train of thought when choosing the unique moniker, Danillo said, as per MailOnline: "There was a word there that talked about the black pharaoh.
"We went to research what it was like and we found the story of Piiê, who was a Nubian warrior who fought and conquered Egypt and became the first black pharaoh."
They wanted the name to link back to their baby boy's African ancestry.
"Recovering African names is a powerful way to give a new narrative to the history of black people," Danillo continued. "We have the right to educate our children with this strength, this culture and in a way that they have representation in their name."
It was the Belo Horizonte registry office that blocked the baby from having the name and initially The Minas Gerais Court of Justice sided with the decision.
The reason for the block was because they were concerned that the name could 'expose their bearers to ridicule'.
But a judge on Friday (September 13) has since revoked the decision and allowed the Prímolas to use the name.
The decision means that the baby boy can now go ahead with the vaccinations he needs as he finally has an official birth certificate.