Facebook, Mac, Siri, Dino, Adolf Hitler Campbell, Apple, Tequila, Spam Blocker, Angry
Birds, and Youtube. These are just a few of the bizarre names given over the years to children. In
2009, a three-year-old boy named Adolf Hitler Campbell made headlines in New Jersey after a
baker refused to decorate a cake for the boy’s birthday (“What’s in a Name”). In New Zealand,
the Births, Deaths, and Marriages Registration Act of 1995 doesn’t allow people to name their
children that might “cause offence to a reasonable person...” In Texas, roman numerals are
allowed however, Arabic numerals are not. In Massachusetts, the total number of characters in
baby's first, middle and last name cannot exceed 40 (“The Bump”). In New Hampshire, there can
be no punctuation in a child's name, however, dashes and apostrophes are totally acceptable.
“Names aren't just coat hooks, they're coats. They're the first thing anyone knows about you”
(Nick Harkaway). Due to the effect names can have on a person’s livelihood, parents should
have restrictions on what they name their children.
People name their children strange, bizarre, and often inappropriate things. In one case, a
father named their 3-year-old child Adolf Hitler Campbell. The parent named his child after the
notorious German leader because he liked the name and because "no one else in the world would
have that name” (“What’s in a Name”). The name “Adolf Hitler” gives off a bad aura due to his
horrendous reputation executing over 6 million innocent people. This shows how careless
parents are when choosing a lifelong name for their own children. Furthermore, parents should
not have the right to name their child bizarre names.
Parents can be influenced by Hollywood. Outside sources and media can have a negative
effect when parents name their children. In one case, it is believed that celebrity baby names
affect the popularity of a chosen name, no matter if it is a positive name or a negative name. For
example, Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin named their newborn Apple (“CNN”). Ironically
the name moved up a surprising 585 places on names for girl born in 2012. This demonstrates
the effect of celebrity influence. Some parents are obsessed with celebrities and will do anything
to honor them. A parent naming their child something they wouldn’t want for themselves shows
the uncertainty of allowing parents to name their child anything. Speaking of celebrities, rapper,
Chief Keef, and the mother of his child agreed to name their child Sno FilmOn Dot Com Cozart
(Silverman 1). Keep in mind, he only wanted to name his newborn this just to promote his
album. Looking at the evidence, it is obvious that parents should not be allowed to choose any
bizarre names for their children.
There are those who believe that parents should not have restrictions naming their child.
However, parents can be reckless. The real dilemma is when a child’s well being is altered based
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