Dan Bucatinsky: More Than I Can Chew
Could Elvis be a girl?
Filed under: Newborns, Toddlers Preschoolers, Your Pregnancy, Health & Safety: Babies, Development/Milestones: Babies, Weird But True, Day Care & Education, Feeding & Sleeping, Baby-sitting, Research Reveals: Babies, Nutrition: Toddlers & Preschoolers, Expert Advice: Babies, Health & Safety: Toddlers & Preschoolers, Development: Toddlers & Preschoolers, Behavior: Toddlers & Preschoolers, Activities: Toddlers & Preschoolers, Gear Guides: Babies, Gear Guides: Toddlers & Preschoolers, Research Reveals: Toddlers & Preschoolers, Expert Advice: Toddlers & Preschoolers
The way things worked out, I was given the task of naming both my sons. When my wife was pregnant with our first son, I thought long and hard about what qualities were important to me, what my aspirations were for him, and what I most wanted to share with him. I came up with the perfect name, too, to incorporate all of this: Redwood. And so his name is Jared. My experience with my second son (third child) was similar. I chose Tuolumne. His name is Ezra.And so I can sympathize with a Swedish couple who are having difficulty with their new daughter's name. Only, this time it's not the wife or mother-in-law that is vetoing the appellative choice, it's the government. You see, in Sweden, children's names have to be approved by the Skatteverket -- the National Tax Board. Personally, I would think that, so long as any relevant fees and taxes are paid in a timely manner, they wouldn't really care what you called your kid, but I guess they do.
So what's this horrendous moniker these terrible parents want to bestow on their child? Well, it's Elvis. Yes, Elvis, as in The King of Rock and Roll. Only, that's not why they picked it. "We talked about lots of names," says the mother, Linda "and then Elvis popped up. We thought it was a name that was both pretty and gender-neutral. We're not Elvis Presley fans at all." Actually, it was the gender-neutral part that sold them on the name.
The Skatteverket disagreed, however, ruling that "Elvis is a first name of a masculine type and as such may, in light of standard practice, be considered clearly inappropriate as a first name for a woman." The couple plans to appeal the decision. It is worth noting that last year, a couple was able to convince the Skatteverket to let them name their daughter Metallica.
As for me, I'm with the parents. If they like the name and feel it fits their criteria, then so be it. There are certainly a lot worse names than Elvis that have been bestowed on children.
Your<span>Voice</span>
Ask Us Anything About Parenting
Recently Asked
- Anyone ever apply to be a court appointed receiver of a business,person,or property?
- How do (some) parents believe it's appropriate to change their child's dirty diaper on a table-top in the middle of a restaurant dining room? The rati...
- Should i change my child's teacher? its already March but the teacher treats him so negatively.
TheTalkies:RelatedVideos
-
Top 10 Fun Facts About Elvis Presley
Learn 10 fun facts about Elvis Presley. His original middle name was spelled 'Aron' but Elvis changed it to 'Aaron'. Elvis was a distant cousin to former President Jimmy Carter. He had a short romance with 'Viva Las Vegas' co-star Ann-Margret. The last movie he saw at the theater was 'The Spy Who Loved Me'. Elvis obtained a black belt in karate.
-
Attack of the Lawnmower-Killing Croc
Elvis, Australia's worst-behaved crocodile does it again - this time, mistaking a lawnmower for prey. Two workers at a reptile park near Sydney were all shook up on Wednesday, running for their lives when a 500 kg crocodile named Elvis suddenly lunged at them, making off with their lawnmower. The croc lost two teeth in its battle with the machine.
-
Top 10 Unlikely Celebrity Anagrams
Ever thought of trying to create new words or phrases from celebrity names? You'd be surprised what kind of anagrams you can come up with! In this WatchMojo.com Presents video, Diagonal View lists the Top 10 unlikely celebrity anagrams.
-
Gay Fathers' Win Over Baby Name
For the first time in Brazil's history, a gay couple has succeeded in having a child through in vitro fertilisation, and listing both their names as parents on the baby's certificate.
SitesWeLove
- Site Map
- |
- Staff
- |
- Terms of Service
- |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Trademarks
- |
- Advertise With Us
- |
- About Our Ads
- |
- AOL Downloads
- |
- Contact Us
- |
© Copyright 2012 AOL Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Aol Family
ReaderComments (Page 4 of 4)
6-05-2008 @ 7:40PM
Linda Giffen said...Apple is taken, so why not Elvis?
Reply
6-05-2008 @ 7:41PM
Bryan said...This story proves that ignorant people exist in this world. In an effort to make their kids stand out they name them outrageously stupid names, never thinking how these idiotic names will effect the child both growing up as well as when they are adults looking for a job. Parents that put their children through crap like this should be sterilized. Morons!
Reply
6-05-2008 @ 7:42PM
G.L. said...I guess that's their right to name the little girl whatever they want. Elvis,Dumbo,Cornbread,Sally Sue,or whatever. But,rest assured,the very first time that I could legally change it,I'd be the first person in line at city hall.
Reply
6-05-2008 @ 8:04PM
elizabeth said...They should move to america.
Reply
6-05-2008 @ 8:53PM
Kerry said...While the parents should have the right, the freedom to name their child anything they'd like, you have to realize the child is the one who's going to be living with it, to take any repercussions from it.Remember the Johnny Cash song, 'A Boy Named Sue'. You also have to look at names that need to "age gracefully with a child. names that I don't seem, right now would fit a 70, or 80 year old would be, Kandi, Tawny, Zane, Blaze, Feather, Sparkle, Sunshine, Baby & Willow. These are just a ffew of the legal, on the birth certificate names of people I've met. I'm not judging. I'm just saying, whether we "Don't care what people think", we still have to live with it.
Reply
6-05-2008 @ 8:22PM
sharon said...Have u heard of other names more appaling the ELVIS people have used?
Parents kid.........Parents choice.........
Reply
6-05-2008 @ 8:39PM
deni said...I grew up in the 60's....not to many parents named their kid Denielle...(thats my name by the way)....And to top it off they used an E instead of an A....so its DENIELLE.
Kids called me a boy...because NO ONE was named Danielle back in the day...let alone Denielle.
It made me tougher and stronger than most girls. Let the parents do what they want...thats their right....i just hope they are prepared to have their daughter come home crying when someone makes fun of them.
Reply
6-05-2008 @ 8:48PM
valari said...No worse than naming a child after fruit....ie..Apple or Strawberry
Reply
6-05-2008 @ 9:13PM
Kerry said...Who is the celebrity who has the little girl named Apple? I can see her in my mind's eye, I just can't remember her name. She's a pretty, young blonde woman & her husband (Married in L.A.?) is ugly as sin. But, she's beatiful & the little girl is a cutey. I thought thr name was stupid. But, you look at the little girl's cheeks & she is an apple!
Reply
6-06-2008 @ 8:19AM
jen said...her name is Gwyneth Paltrow and her husband is with the band Cold Play.
6-06-2008 @ 9:20AM
Kerry said...Thanks Jen! I remembered her name as soon as I clicked off. Also, the husband's band's name. But even so, & I can say it, her husband id atill ugly!...lol
6-05-2008 @ 9:31PM
Kerry said...Who is the celebrity who has the little girl named Apple? I can see her in my mind's eye, I just can't remember her name. She's a pretty, young blonde woman & her husband (Married in L.A.?) is ugly as sin. But, she's beatiful & the little girl is a cutey. I thought thr name was stupid. But, you look at the little girl's cheeks & she is an apple!
Reply
6-05-2008 @ 11:22PM
Uly said...Oh, waaa, they take away parents' rights!
Yeah, they do limit the right of a parent to name their child - because it is in the best interest of a child to have a decent name. Children in the US don't have that protection, and it most definitely does harm them - people are discriminated against for their names as adults, and yes, bullied as children for having, frankly, stupid names.
Reply
6-05-2008 @ 11:17PM
Cora said...Elvis is an awful name for a boy, and ten times worse for a girl. Can you imagine a boy who had the misfortune of dating her as a teenager? Can you picture him writing I *heart* Elvis on his notebook? Some names should be abandoned after they've been used by a celebrity. Elvis, Elvira, Madonna, Tupac... It sounds really desperate for attention when someone uses these. If it's the sound those parents like so much, why not ELVIE instead? At least that sounds girly!
Reply
6-06-2008 @ 1:42AM
ninainindia said...The Swedish government is just protecting children for being given stupid names. If I see some of the names American children have been given, I think the children of Sweden are thankful.
Reply
6-06-2008 @ 8:21AM
LARRY GODDEN said...I'm a guyNamedLynn=itHas Caused meSoMuch=Grief=Think of theChild NotYourOwnPolitical/Family/Desires WhyBringPain&HurtOnAChild?Just toShowYourSelfishFoolishness?it's
BadParenting&Inconsiderate&AbuseYourChild NowMustExplain=Their
Entire Life = Why Abuse YourChild?JustToShowOff?ManyPeopleEven ChangeTheir Name=WHY HurtYour
Child??Shame onYOU==
Reply
6-10-2008 @ 2:27PM
MERBS said...I would not live where the Gov't felt they had to butt in legally on minutiae like what to name the baby! Absurd.
Reply
6-17-2008 @ 11:33PM
Jamie said...The appeal of gender-neutral names, according to my mother (who named me Jamie, the traditionally masculine spelling of the name), because of Feminism. See, supposedly there is a subtle bias against girls in some feilds, so having a non-girly name actually might help them be more successful later in life. I'm not sure I entirely disagree with this, either, is the weird thing - we'd like to think we're a lot more equal now, and I guess we kind of are, but it's still uneven. One of the science mags (Scientific American, I believe, though possibly it was New Scientist) pretty recently (like, within the last couple of months or so) had an article about a study that tracked stats on female career scientists... and guess what? Fewer publications accepted their papers (this isn't even an issue of "oh well obviously there's just more male scientists", we're talking number of papers per scientist!), they got less access to tenure or grants, their proposals for research got shot down more often than their male peers'... you name it. By some crazily big margin that can't possibly be entirely coincidental, either. In multiple disciplines, too, as I recall. Eerie, and more than a little disheartening I think. So maybe picking a boyish or neutral name isn't necessarily all that bad an idea... (now, mind you, a girlish name on a boy is a different matter entirely. I'd never be able to bring myself to do that!)
That, of course, and if they happen to be one of those couples that doesn't want to know ahead of time the gender of the baby, picking gender-neutral names actually kind of makes it easier.
People who think "Elvis" can't be a girl's name have obviously not noticed the naming trends in the U.S. lately, particularly the south. Names like Madison (male President's surname), Courtney, Ashley, Jamie, those are increasingly popular. And of course, "Bobby" is, you might be surprised to find, a fairly common girls' name in the south, even paired with the masculine-sounding "Lou" or "Jo" for a middle name (In fact, I've never heard of a boy in the south named Bobby Lou or Bobby Jo)!
Hell, anything's better than "Buffy" or "Kitty", isn't it? And in today's world, better than "Gertrude" or "Francine" or "Betty". Well, OK. "Moon Unit" and "Moxie Crimefighter" certainly aren't better than any of those, but you know what I mean...
Reply