Couple Forbidden from Naming Child due to Concerns over Potential Bullying

It would seem the list of baby names seriously needs rebooting as another couple has become the latest victim of being barred from naming their child as intended.

More often than not, parents would prefer a different or special name for the child. While a particular name may sound cute to an infant, one has to think ahead and consider how it will make one feel at an older age.

Whether it is an unusual spelling or simply a name that might incite strong reactions because of its meaning or pronunciation, it may be hard to choose a name that everyone likes. But as long as the name is legally accepted in the country, usually, that is all that matters. However, if the name fails to meet official approval, the authorities can stop the parents from using it.

Danillo and Catarina Prímola know that all too well. They had recently not been allowed to name their newborn son as they wanted after some objections were raised by the officials in Brazil.

Surprisingly, it was not accepted, citing that the chosen name would likely cause embarrassment or bullying issues in the future. The couple had decided to name their son Piyé after the very first Black Egyptian pharaoh. He built the oldest pyramid at El-Kurru and expanded the Temple of Amun.

Translated into Brazilian, the name would be Piié. However, the authorities were less than keen, due to the name’s similarity in pronunciation to “plié,” the term describing a particular type of movement in ballet.

Finding the resemblance a bit too similar in tone, the Court of Justice and the registry office in Belo Horizonte, in Minas Gerais state, denied naming Danillo’s and Catarina’s son Piyé.

The court, however, ruled that the couple could not “register a first name that could expose its bearer to ridicule.” According to reports, the court pointed out that the sound and spelling of the name may cause the child potential embarrassment later in his life.”.

Danillo said he and his wife picked the name well before their son was born on August 31. It was inspired by a song performed at 2023 carnival that referred to the Black pharaoh. “We looked it up, found out the story of Piiê, a Nubian warrior who conquered Egypt and became its first Black pharaoh,” Danillo said.

They named the child Piyé as a way to show him the roots of his African nation. “Reclaiming African names is a strong way to remake the narrative of Black history,” Danillo added. “We have a right to raise our children with this strength and culture, ensuring their name matches who they are.

First, the court of Minas Gerais upheld the rejection given by the registry office of Belo Horizonte. Last Friday, September 13, that decision was reversed by a judge.

Now, baby Piyé can have an official birth certificate since his parents can now register him and do all other subsequent procedures, including his vaccinations.

Article Source: ladbible