Just when you thought 4Real was the weirdest baby name human beings could possibly conceive, today we learn that another couple is trying to name their child "@."

At first you'd probably think this was a pair of uber-nerds, trying to make some kind of statement about the infusion of technology and humanity (or something) -- but the name isn't quite as odd as it looks.

Not only does the world use the symbol everyday in sending e-mails, but, more importantly, the word "at" translates to "love him" in Mandarin -- which is actually kind of sweet.

No one knows yet whether or not government officials will accept the unique name, though odds are that @'s parents will have to come up with something else -- especially considering that Arabic numerals, foreign languages and other symbols that aren't found in Chinese languages were banned from names as of earlier this year.

I hope this catches on. I'd love to one day meet a person named +, or ?, or ! -- the possibilities are endless.

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Awhile back, I wrote about Pat and Sheena Wheaton, who were fighting with the government in New Zealand for the right to name their baby 4Real (they chose the name after realizing their baby was..."for real"). Unfortunately for the couple (or maybe fortunately for their son), they lost that fight -- not because the name was too ridiculous, but because names in New Zealand must be a sequence of letters.

Their solution? Pat and Sheena have decided they'll name their son Superman instead.

However, Superman's parents, while recognizing his legal name, still plan to call him 4Real -- just as they'd always intended.

I mean, seriously. 4Real? Uve got2b joking. WTF?

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Some parents go for the safe bet, and pick a name based on what's popular. Others try and steer clear of popular names, and opt for something more offbeat -- like Apple, or Juniper. And some parents, believe it or not, choose their children's names based on how high they rank in Google searches.

But Pat and Sheena Wheaton completely broke the mold three weeks ago, when they named their baby something I guarantee no parents had ever named their child before. They want their son to be called "4 Real."

I'm totally serious (for real, y'all).

"I guess when we had the first scan, we could see him inside, and we realized that it was all pretty real. I think that was the moment that we starting thinking, jeez, he is for real," says dad.

Pat and Sheena are having difficulty making 4 Real their son's official name, however, as the Australian Marriages Offices (where parents are required to register their children's names) won't accept any name beginning with a number. So they're talking to the press, the government -- anyone who will listen -- in their fight to name their child how they choose.

While I would never name one of my kids based on text-message speak, I don't think there's any reason to stop 4 Real's parents from using the name they want. It was only a matter of time before someone tried it, after all.

Any guesses on what we'll see next? The only one I can think of is "L8," for a baby carried past his or her due date. List your best ideas in the comments!

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