French Court Bans Couple from Using 'ñ' in Baby's Name
A French court on Wednesday banned a couple from giving their baby a name containing a tilde, ruling that the "n with a squiggle over it" was incompatible with national law.
The couple from Brittany wanted to call their newborn baby boy Fañch, a traditional name in the northwestern region which has its own language.
"The principle according to which babies' names are chosen by their mothers and fathers must have limits when it comes to using a spelling which includes a character unrecognized by the French language," the court in the town of Quimper said in its judgment.
Fañch is a name borne notably by two Breton writers, Fañch Peru and Fañch Broudig.
The tilde, an "n" with a small sideways "s" written over it, is commonly used in Spanish.
An official in Quimper had initially refused to write "Fañch" on the baby's birth certificate, before changing their mind a few days later.
Born in May, the baby already has an ID card and passport with the tilda on it.
His furious father Jean-Christophe Bernard said the battle wasn't over.
"He will have his tilde, that's for sure," Bernard said.
"When? We don't know. We'll see with a lawyer and with the town hall what we can do."
15 September 2017, 03:56
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Yes, unlike Lebanon, which is so civilized and advanced that it allows a guy to call his daughter "2irhab" ("terrorism") and another to call his son "3azaab" ("torture"). I'm sure those two kids will be much happier than that French kid who will now have to write his Breton name in French: François. Expect the ultra-independentist Bretons to raise hell about this and use it as fuel for their campaign for independence from France.
And of course, it's such a horrible thing, this socialism of France's. Can you imagine, the government pays for all your medical bills, all your children's education, and subsidizes rent and supplemental income for youth under 26 who don't yet earn more than 1500 Euros per month, and adults who earn less than 2000 Euros. Thank god in Lebanon we are spared from such evil!
