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France Bans 'Nutella' As A Baby Name (And Strawberry, Too)

Sorry Parents, Your Baby's Name Can't Be Nutella

In the quest to give your child an original baby name, take Nutella and Strawberry off your list.

A couple in France decided to name their baby Nutella (after the chocolate-and-hazelnut spread), when she was born in September last year. Unfortunately, the judge wasn't as excited about their choice and has now denied the request, according to La Voix du Nord.

The parents were asked to come to court and find a new name, but didn't show up. In their absence, the judge changed the baby's name to "Ella."

The judge felt the name was "contrary to the interests of the child to be given a first name that can only lead to mockery and disparaging thoughts," reports La Voix du Nord.

This is the second odd name controversy to happen in France in the past few months. Another couple tried to call their child "Fraise," or "Strawberry" in French. They were also denied. The parents explained in court on Jan. 5 that they were trying to give their girl an original name. They eventually settled on "Fraisine."

Now these names have been added to a list of banned names in France, and they're not the only country to feel the need to publish such a directive.

New Zealand comes out with a list of banned names each year, according to the Toronto Star. The list includes names like Lucifer, Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii, and Justice, which at 62 times, was the country's most commonly denied name.

These types of names are considered a form of abuse, said the judge in the case of "Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii," and sets them up for social instability.

Other countries with the power to deny names are Germany, where the name "WikiLeaks" was attempted and failed, and Sweden, home of the commonly used name Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116 (pronounced Albin, in case you didn't know). This name was chosen by the parents in protest of Sweden's strict naming laws.

Canada does not have a list of banned names, but that didn't stop one highly successful April Fool's Day prank from leading people to believe names like "Maple" and "Eh" were off limits.

There are rules, however, from each province and territory on how parents can name their children. So do your research before settling on a name like "#YOLO."

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