Italian court changes baby's name

by Sandy Maple (Subscribe to Sandy Maple's posts) Dec 18th 2007 3:02PM

As far as unusual baby names go, "Friday" is not too bad. It is short, means something, and is easy to spell. All in all, I kind of like it. Unfortunately for this couple, the Italian courts do not and have ruled that they cannot name their son "Friday."

Little Friday was already five months old when his name was noticed by a city clerk. The clerk brought the matter to the attention of a tribunal, which decided the name fell into the category of "ridiculous or shameful." Claiming the name would hinder the boy from developing "serene interpersonal relationships", the tribunal moved to protect this child from a lifetime of days-of-the-week jokes.

"We named him Friday because we like the sound of the name. Even if it would have been a girl, we would have named her Friday," the boy's mother, Mara Germano says. Livid, the parents appealed the decision. The appeals court ruled against them, saying the name recalled the servile savage in the novel Robinson Crusoe and pointing out that some superstitious Italians consider Friday to be an unlucky day.

The court ordered his name be changed, but the parents refused. So, the court did it for them, renaming the child Gregory, after the saint whose feast day he was born on.

"My son was born Friday, baptised Friday, will call himself Friday, we will call him Friday but when he gets older he will have to sign his name Gregory," she said. Take that, Italian courts!

Which one of these dads has the most kids?(click thumbnails to view gallery)

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Comments (178)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 9)

isisaquaria 2-08-2008 @ 10:18PM

i have a friend named Strawberry

isisaquaria 3-11-2008 @ 2:50PM

Our whole family would have to change our names

SKL 12-18-2007 @ 3:53PM

Wasn't Friday the little girl on the Adam's Family? But I suppose they don't have that show in Italy.

I think it would be a kinda cool name considering the whole world will always be so happy whenever and wherever little Friday arrives.

What could be better than being the subject of "Thank God it's Friday?"

Ah, I'm so glad that the Italian government workers have finished up all the important work so they can now focus on eradicating silly names.

crystalmax2 12-19-2007 @ 10:00AM

HER NAME WAS NOT FRIDAY ON THE ADAMS FAMILY, IT WAS WEDNESDAY. FYI

b 12-19-2007 @ 11:21AM

they need a law like this in america!!!

Charles 12-19-2007 @ 11:25AM

Wendsday was the Addam's family girl,and the Italian government should have no right to interfere with the naming of a child,since when did we give up even that right to governments?

leonardodido 12-19-2007 @ 4:16PM

that's ridiculous. Italy sucks!!! i left italy to move into unites states and now i live here... i'm so happy that i did that.. the parents can give the name that they want, no matter what, he's their son... come on...

Tari 12-19-2007 @ 6:32PM

It was Wednesday Addams

Geezy 12-19-2007 @ 8:26PM

no it was wednesday u jackass

BB 12-19-2007 @ 7:18PM

Friday was Wednesday's middle name on the Addams Family.

Meagan 12-18-2007 @ 4:34PM

The kid from the Addams family was actually Wednesday. I remember reading about this (not this specifically, just the government intervention) earlier on Parent Dish, and thinking it was stupid then. What right does the government have to tell you what you can name your kid? This one's not even that bad. April, May, and Autumn are all semi-common names so why not a day of the week? As SKL pointed out there's a TV precedent and as the court itself mentioned, Friday is a literary figure. Who cares if they don't like the character?

golddust 12-19-2007 @ 2:27PM

the government can interfere in anything in any country other than AMERICA. We live in the home of the FREE and the land of the BRAVE. Our government with the millitary made sure of that. That's why we can name our children what we choose without government interference.

aprilkelm 12-18-2007 @ 5:03PM

They should be allowed to name him Friday if they want to. And I really don't get that they use Robinson Crusoe against the parents. Friday was a good guy in Robinson Crusoe, wasn't he?

But really, coming from a girl named April, I have to deal with really stupid jokes two months out of the year (May is a popular time to joke because it's not April anymore, ha, ha). It's way worse as an adult than it ever was as a child, and I have to be an adult for the rest of my life. So Friday would suck, because you would have to deal with the ridiculous jokes two days out of the WEEK! Don't name your kid Friday, or Wednesday, or April or May or June or August.

clarabellemucow 12-19-2007 @ 10:15AM

Friday was the name given to the "savage" by Robinson. It was meant to be impersonal and Robinson did it in way of making himself "master" over Friday.

mael evolance 12-19-2007 @ 6:13PM

having been Named August by my parents I too was the blunt of those two month jokes April talks about as a child.

Going back to school in September was the worsed as August was over "Dead" according to some.
I just thanked God every day they hadnt named me after the month I was born in June although I may have grown up as tough as that boy named Sue to quote Johnny Cash.

Well no matter it is what it is and I am kinda glad I dont have one of the more popular names like Jim or John or whatever even though August is more common then one would believe. I found thousands of hits when I search my full name on the net now whooda thunk.

Kat Kinsman 12-19-2007 @ 9:39AM

The courts had never heard of Tuesday Weld?

J. Barfalo 12-19-2007 @ 9:41AM

No wonder the Italians would do this. Last year their army just ordered two brand new sets of uniforms - one for parades and the other for surrenders. And they have a boatload of practically new rifles for sale - only been dropped once.