> Decoding Icelandic Nicknames, from Iceland Review:
Follow up story from IR:
IR Daily News featured a story on the newest additions to the exclusive
family of Icelandic given names. Babies born in this country may now be
called Mosi, Svea, Eybjört or Korka, as well as Anna, Björn, Gudmundur, and
all the other ones you've already heard of. But those who want to name their
new pride and joy Malm or Adils will be sorely disappointed.
You see, such is the size and pride of this tiny nation that newborns'
monikers must be on a list of approved names which fit into the Icelandic
traditions and rules of grammar declensions. Names like Hreinn ("clean"),
Ketill ("kettle"), Ormur ("worm") and Ljótur ("ugly") are all established,
approved, and occasionally bestowed names in Iceland (so theoretically
someone could be called Ugly Worm Son of Kettle - Ljótur Ormur Ketilsson,
although a quick search in the phone book revealed that no one has attempted
that yet). My name, Eliza, is most decidedly not allowed; it has a 'z',
which doesn't exist in the Icelandic alphabet.
If parents want their little one to have a name which is not currently on
The List, they must pay a fee of ISK 2000 and submit their suggestion(s) to
a special Naming Committee. If the Committee rejects the proposal, as they
did with Malm and Adils, you must go back to the drawing board, because your
child will not be registered with the government.
There are a few exceptions to this rule. If one of the baby's parents is
foreign-born, the child is allowed to have one foreign name out of two. If
both parents are foreign born, they can do whatever they want.
But foreigners don't all have it so easy. Until about a decade ago, any
foreign-born person who wished to take Icelandic citizenship had to adopt an
Icelandic name. Hence the Georgian-born handball player, Roland Eradze,
became Roland Valur Eradze (after the local team for which he played) upon
adopting Icelandic citizenship. Fortunately, pressure from the rest of
Europe put an end to this practise.
Nevertheless, I find the Naming Committee's regular proclamations of what is
approved and banned troubling. If one has the responsibility of raising a
child, surely one should have the responsibility for naming it as one
wishes?
I once had a discussion about this with my Icelandic husband. I was
complaining that my name, of which I have always been rather fond, had been
explicitly banned by the committee. My Icelandic brother-in-law and his wife
were expecting a baby later that month. "This naming rule is ridiculous," I
argued to my husband. "Let's say I was to die tragically tomorrow and your
brother wanted to name his new baby after me in my memory. That would not be
allowed because my name is on the banned list."
"Well, technically, yes, that is true," agreed my other half. He paused for
a moment. "But I work across the hall from the chair of the naming committee
and I'd just have a chat with him. We'd work it out."
Forget rules and regulations, it's all about who you know.
__________________________
Judy
http://iceryder.net
http://clickryder.com
