Swedish parents win right to name sprog 'Q'

The parents of a Jämtland boy have emerged triumphant from the Swedish Supreme Administrative Court, aka Regeringsrätten, and may henceforth legally refer to the sprog as "Q".

The powers that be didn't much like the couple's choice of name, and both the county administrative court (Länsrätten) administrative court of appeal (Kammarrätten) ruled it out of bounds.

Now, though, the Regeringsrätten has decided that since “it has not been proven that the name Q may cause offence, or that it may lead to discomfort for the bearer of the name [...] there is also no reason why Q is obviously inappropriate as a first name".

Q's dad, Rickard Rehnberg, explained to the Svenska Dagbladet newspaper: “He's been called Q almost since day one. He listens to the name and can actually say his own name. And if you read the law, you are allowed to be named after a letter.

“The law states that you shouldn't have the same name as a letter, but not that you can't. He is a unique child and we thought he should have a unique name - then Q popped up.”

Q's full title is, in case you're wondering, the sonorous "Q Anbjörn Jackrapat Rehnberg", although as The Local notes, "it may be a while before the youngster is able to pronounce it".

In related daft name news, the Regeringsrätten has also decreed that a woman from Varberg in western Sweden can change her name from Ann-Christine to "A-C".

Dismissing Swedish tax authorities' objections to the rebranding, the court said: "The choice of a first name is of such a personal nature that the individual must be given complete freedom.

"The possibility that A-C could be interpreted as an abbreviation of another name doesn't mean in and of itself that it's obviously inappropriate. Nor is A-C obviously inappropriate as a first name for any other reason." ®

Bootnote

Yes, this is a Swedish bootnote, so the usual heads-up to Mike Richards for the tip-off.