World | Other World Stories
New Zealand name shame
A couple from New Zealand who called their daughter Talula Does the Hula From Hawaii have been ordered to change her name to save her from abuse and ridicule.
- By Bonnie Malkin, The Telegraph Group Limited, London 2008
- Published: 23:41 July 25, 2008
Sydney: A couple from New Zealand who called their daughter Talula Does the Hula From Hawaii have been ordered to change her name to save her from abuse and ridicule.
A judge ruled that the nine-year-old, who was the subject of a custody battle, should be placed in the guardianship of the court until renamed.
A lawyer acting for the girl claimed that she was so embarrassed by her name that she refused to tell friends, insisting she should be known only as "K". The lawyer claimed the girl fully understood the absurdity of her name, unlike her parents.
Justice Robert Murfitt said the name clearly presented a social hurdle for the child. "It makes a fool of the child and sets her up with a social disability and handicap," he said.
He also voiced concern over other names given to children in New Zealand, such as Violence, Midnight Chardonnay and Number 16 Bus Shelter.
A set of twins was named Benson and Hedges and some children had been named after cars. One child has even been named after the entire All Blacks rugby team.
Brian Clarke, the registrar general of births, deaths and marriages, told the New Zealand Herald that the law did not allow names, among other things, that would cause offence to a reasonable person or that are more than 100 characters.
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