Venezuela plans crackdown on bloody silly names

Superman Chavez, your days are numbered

By Lester Haines • Get more from this author

Posted in Law, 3rd September 2007 14:01 GMT

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Venezuela's National Electoral Council last week proposed a Bill that would prevent parents giving their offspring "names that expose them to ridicule, are extravagant or difficult to pronounce", AP reports.

The move came after a perusal of the electoral rolls revealed a litany of outrages, including Edigaith, Hersony, Nohemar, Mileidy and Leomar. It also identified no less than two Supermen, at which point the powers that be decided enough was enough.

While Venzuela already has legislation ordering registry authorities not to accept names that would expose children to ridicule, the final decision has, evidently unwisely, to date been left to individual bureaucrats.

The new plan would involve knocking up a list of "reference" traditional names to guide parents back onto the straight and narrow. It would start with "no fewer than 100 names" and expand over time. Suffice it to say, we doubt 4Real, Princess Tiaamii, Metallica, @ and Jon Blake Cusack Version 2.0 will be among the approved options. ®

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