A couple in France have been reported to police after trying to call their baby daughter ‘Liam’ – a name that the prosecution believe is “contrary to the child’s best interests”.
French naming laws are stricter than most, it goes without saying.
Until 1993, first names could only be chosen from a list mandated by French law, The New York Times reports. Since then, parents have enjoyed more “freedom” but the courts will still step in if the name’s believed to be contrary to the best interests of the child.
In this case, the couple from the country’s north-west region Brittany, tried to name their third child – a daughter born in November – ‘Liam’ and it did not go down well.
In February, the courts intervened with the public prosecutor saying the name is “likely to create a risk of gender confusion”, Local reports.
This apparent “gender confusion” has been deemed against the child’s interests. So much so, in fact, that it might “harm her in her social relations”, the prosecution claims.
The prosecution also cited ‘problematic’ famous Liams – such as Liam Gallagher from the music group Oasis and the Love Actually actor Liam Neeson – as reasons for the name to be denied.
Listen: There’s no one under 60 with the name ‘Nigel’ anymore. We discuss why, on our podcast for imperfect parents. Post continues below.
According to Local, the problem in this case is likely down to the French being unaccustomed to giving the same exact name to boys and girls.
Typically, French ‘unisex’ names are slightly varied between genders, for examples ‘Jean’ and ‘Jeanne’ or ‘Frederic’ and ‘Frederique’.
What It Means To Give Birth On Country
The Delivery Room
Top Comments
There are French names which are spelt and pronounced the same when used on boys or girls, so the concept isn't foreign to them. Camille and Dominique are two that come to mind. The problem with Liam is that it's not a unisex name - it's a boys' name that these parents want to use on a girl. Just about everyone is going to assume Liam is a boy, because that's the only context they have for the name.
This article seems a bit dismissive of the idea that "gender confusion" might actually have a negative impact on a child and I'm not sure why. Would you enjoy being mistaken for the opposite sex on a regular basis? I wouldn't be thrilled to have it happen even once. I wonder if the slant would be different if this was a case of a boy being given a girls' name. I've noticed even parents who have given their daughters male names like James seem to baulk at the idea of a boy having a girls' name.
Do I think there should be a law against using opposite sex names on children? Perhaps not but I think parents should carefully consider how much of a burden a name (any name - negative connotations, wrong gender, wrong spelling, difficult pronunciation, etc.) might be on their child before going ahead with it.
While this example seems a little extreme, it does seem like a good idea in reality to have some accountability around the stupid names that some parents choose to give their kids.