A French couple who wanted to name their baby daughter Nutella have been told by a judge that babies can't be named after spreads.
The girl was born on September 24, 2014, in the French city of Valenciennes. Her parents were issued with a family court order after a registrar felt their choice of name was 'contrary to the child's interest' when they went to register the birth.
The hearing was held in late November and the judge ruled that the little girl must be given a new name."The name 'Nutella' given to the child is the trade name of a spread," the court's decision read, according to La Voix Du Nord. "And it is contrary to the child's interest to be wearing a name like that can only lead to teasing or disparaging thoughts."
As the parents did not attend the hearing, the judge stated that the girl will be given the name Ella instead - perhaps leaving her parents with the option of calling her Nutella as a nickname?
Parents in France are free to choose almost any name for their baby, but if when they go to register the birth the registrar feels the name is 'contrary to the child's interest', then the registrar will notify legal officials who may issue a family court order to attend a hearing to discuss the suitability of the name.
Another couple were recently asked to attend a hearing after naming their baby girl Fraise, the French word for Strawberry.
At the hearing on January 5, the parents had said they wanted to give their daughter 'an original name not in use'. But the court ruled that the name Fraise 'will necessarily be the cause of mockery'.
Luckily the parents had expected that their choice of name might not be given the green light, and so had prepared a second choice, Fraisine, which the court declared was: 'An old name in use in the 19th century which does not appear contrary to the interests of the child'.
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