Judge makes parents change kid's name from Messiah

[OkToBeTakei]

Well to be honest if the parents have to go to court to mediate on the child's second name it's kind of fucked up anyway. Poor little Martin/Messiah.

I dunno. I think at some point somebody has to protect these people from themselves and certainly their children. New Zealand does and it is feck all to do with church and state.

[Curious]

I went to school with a few people whose parents clearly had not taken their offspring's future happiness into account. One's parents really liked a colour and named her that (I won't share her actual name to protect her privacy, but it was on par with naming your baby Hot Pink). Another was named after a food product, though her parents claim it was unintentional (first name + last name combine to make the name of the food). Neither of them changed it upon reaching adulthood since they'd both become resigned to the jokes/puns/teasing.

I spent much of my childhood counting the days until I could legally change my name. Then by the time I could, I was so used to the issues with my unusual name that it didn't really bother me anymore. Now I treat it more like Cher or Madonna. I never really have to worry about a last name because there is no other person with my first name anywhere (at least not that I've ever found so far).

I used to really cringe when people named their kids yewneeklee, but I think it will be easier for kids now days because it's so much more common to have an unusual name or an oddly spelled name. Kids are mean little critters. They are going to find something to tease you about if that is their goal, but poor little Pilot Inspektor is not going to stand out so much in a room with Bronx Mogwli, North West, Moxie Crimefighter and Blue Ivy as he would with Jennifer, John, Tiffany and Brian.

Now days it might be Kevin that is in trouble for having a "common" name ;)

[patsymae]

Look, if you are going to stop African Americans from naming their kids Messiah, then you need to stop Greek Americans from naming their little boys "Christo", which also means messiah.

Judge is a hose beast and the ruling should be appealed.

I suspect this judge is totally unaware that there are Greek Christos, Hispanic Jesuses, Italian Salvatores, Spanish Salvadors--my son was born on Christmas and named Jesse, and our Filipino doctor said how wonderful it was that I named him Jesus since he was born on Jesus's birthday (actually never occurred to me). Plus, isn't Joshua a form of the same name as Jesus?

This judge of course had no business inflicting personal religious beliefs in an American court. I hope the couple has the means to appeal or the ACLU will take this case.

I'm surprised at "Martin." I would have thought the judge would have insisted on "Bubba" or "Jimmy Joe Bob." Which of course nobody ever makes fun of.

[Mela99]

This one is definitely a 'decision' just begging to be overturned. Hopefully the judge gets sanctioned too, for overstepping authority.

It'll almost certainly be overturned, this is total judicial activism. Not sure about a sanction.

/lawschool

[ThisOlGirl]

I don't hate the name Moxie. *runs out of thread in shame*

[Curious]

I don't hate the name Moxie. *runs out of thread in shame*

I'm not sure I hate Moxie, either. Moxie Crimefigher though...I'm not so sure about. Moxie would be a great name for a Chihuahua though now that I think about it (I'm done having kids, but not puppies) ;)

[Bethella]

I suspect this judge is totally unaware that there are Greek Christos, Hispanic Jesuses, Italian Salvatores, Spanish Salvadors--my son was born on Christmas and named Jesse, and our Filipino doctor said how wonderful it was that I named him Jesus since he was born on Jesus's birthday (actually never occurred to me). Plus, isn't Joshua a form of the same name as Jesus?

This judge of course had no business inflicting personal religious beliefs in an American court. I hope the couple has the means to appeal or the ACLU will take this case.

I'm surprised at "Martin." I would have thought the judge would have insisted on "Bubba" or "Jimmy Joe Bob." Which of course nobody ever makes fun of.

Martin is the mother's last name and probably came about because the parents were arguing over which last name to use. I think using both last names is a good compromise, but changing the first name was too much.

[ADoyle90815]

One uncle of mine has a step grandchild named Lucifer, which I think is one of the worst names for a child. I swear I'm not making this up either.

[salex]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/tenn-judge-childs-messiah-19931569

Not breaking the link because it's ABC News. I thought this was fucked up. The parents were in court because they couldn't agree on a last name, and when the judge heard the first name he ordered them to change it because "The word Messiah is a title and it's a title that has only been earned by one person and that one person is Jesus Christ," the judge said." According to the article, Messiah was No. 4 among the fastest-rising baby names in 2012, according to the Social Security Administration's annual list of popular baby names.

What's she going to do next? Hunt down all the hispanic kids named Jesus? This is what happens when we don't separate church and state! I wouldn't name my kid Messiah, but I hope the mom gets the right to name her kid, and doesn't have to deal with one judge's religious beliefs dictating her kid's freaking name.

Hmm, I went to school years ago with a kid named King. Wonder if the judge will change his name since it is a title as well.

[RainbowSky]

wtf does his first name have to do with why they were in court? Oh, nothing? Exactly!

Ass! :naughty:

[Anny Nym]

A cousin of mine, named Maria, met a spanish guy and married him. His name is Jesus. They have a boy which is named after his maternal grandfather: (you already guessed it) Josef :lol:

[Mela99]

I wonder if she has objections for former NHL star Mark Messier. Wasn't he called The Messiah?

[fakepigtails73]

One uncle of mine has a step grandchild named Lucifer, which I think is one of the worst names for a child. I swear I'm not making this up either.

Wow! :twisted:

[crazyforkate]

But what if he grows up to be a very naughty boy?

[OkToBeTakei]

But what if he grows up to be a very naughty boy?

Messy?

[rward]

Well to be honest if the parents have to go to court to mediate on the child's second name it's kind of fucked up anyway. Poor little Martin/Messiah.

I dunno. I think at some point somebody has to protect these people from themselves and certainly their children. New Zealand does and it is feck all to do with church and state.

But does NZ have an equivalent to the First Amendment? That's what the issue is here. 72 kids a year in the US are named "Lucifer". I've met a woman named "Toy". (She was a black woman with a PhD, which made it all the more . . . difficult.) Do I think naming a kid Lucifer or Toy is a good idea? Aw, hell no! Do I think the First Amendment guarantees people the right to so? Yes. So in order to change to a system like Germany's, where there's a list of approved names you must choose from, you'd have to repeal the First Amendment, which, no.

[OkToBeTakei]

But does NZ have an equivalent to the First Amendment? That's what the issue is here. 72 kids a year in the US are named "Lucifer". I've met a woman named "Toy". (She was a black woman with a PhD, which made it all the more . . . difficult.) Do I think naming a kid Lucifer or Toy is a good idea? Aw, hell no! Do I think the First Amendment guarantees people the right to so? Yes. So in order to change to a system like Germany's, where there's a list of approved names you must choose from, you'd have to repeal the First Amendment, which, no.

I come from a country where there is a state church. To be honest I actually never noticed. Another person from here had to remind me in a debate on here that we actually did it is such a non event. So the first amendment just seems to cause you guys all kinds of shit we do not have.

[EmmieJ]

I had a college roommate who hated her name. It was commonly recognized as a maker of televisions, but the word's origin was either Middle English or medieval Latin, and one of its meanings is "the highest point reached in the heavens by a celestial body." So she had it officially changed, over her parents' objections, to a less unusual name.

I wonder what Barack Hussein Obama felt about his name, as he was growing up? Whatever his feelings, he happily owns that name now.

[moodygirl86]

Messy?

I know a woman who calls her cat Messy, due to her habit of jumping up on surfaces and knocking things off (the cat's habit of course, not the woman's!). So I would associate Messy with a black domestic moggy.

[FreeJosie]

I don't hate the name Moxie. *runs out of thread in shame*

I kind of like Moxie too. But Crimefighter, no way.

[Ralar]

I had a college roommate who hated her name. It was commonly recognized as a maker of televisions, but the word's origin was either Middle English or medieval Latin, and one of its meanings is "the highest point reached in the heavens by a celestial body." So she had it officially changed, over her parents' objections, to a less unusual name.

I wonder what Barack Hussein Obama felt about his name, as he was growing up? Whatever his feelings, he happily owns that name now.

As a youngster, President Obama went by the nickname "Barry." In college he started using is given name.

[Ms Lucy Fur]

I kind of like Moxie too. But Crimefighter, no way.

I like Moxie. It's badass and WAAAAAYYYY better than Sauntina LaVerle. I have a fairly uncommon name and hated it growing up. I like it now, like the person upthread. I have no need for a last name, but my kids are named William and Robert. Go figure.

[Arete]

We had the "ethnic" names and we all went through at least one phase of "I'm getting a normal name as soon as I turn 18!" Eighteen came. Eighteen went. No one got a name change. Now ethnic names are cutting edge and trendy in my part of the US. :lol:

[Ralar]

Ruling reversed: Baby will keep the name "Messiah."

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/09/18/tenn-parents-baby-name-messiah/2830999/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+usatoday-NewsTopStories+%28USATODAY+-+News+Top+Stories%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher

[micatite]

But does NZ have an equivalent to the First Amendment? That's what the issue is here. 72 kids a year in the US are named "Lucifer". I've met a woman named "Toy". (She was a black woman with a PhD, which made it all the more . . . difficult.) Do I think naming a kid Lucifer or Toy is a good idea? Aw, hell no! Do I think the First Amendment guarantees people the right to so? Yes. So in order to change to a system like Germany's, where there's a list of approved names you must choose from, you'd have to repeal the First Amendment, which, no.

Was "Toy" her given name or just a nickname for Latoya or something similar. I ask because when I was a kid, a black family moved in next door to us and I was kind of boggled that this very strict family (Their daughter's Catholic school uniform standards, for example, made my Catholic school look like a bunch of slackers, their daughter wasn't allowed to socialize on school nights at all, etc.) would name their daughter something as frivolous as Toy. Then I learned it was a nickname for Latoya.

Frankly, stupid/cruel names aside, I'm glad we don't have an approved list we have to go by in naming. Different is not always bad. I'm sure my name wouldn't pass muster on a lot of lists (except in Denmark, where, I'm told, it's almost as common as Jennifer used to be in the US), but though no one seemed able to pronounce it when I was a kid, now everyone loves it and says so. It's unique. It's different. Yada yada. I get compliments on it all the time and really appreciate it now, even if I couldn't find a personalized license plate for my bike as a kid (mom had custom name pencils and mugs created for me, though, because she's awesome that way. Thanks, mom! :mrgreen: )

And if a kid's name is really horrendous, they can always legally change it when they're of age.