A New Zealand judge has ordered that the parents of an eight-year-old girl change her name, saying it is highly embarrassing and makes the child a target for ridicule.
The girl, who lives in New Plymouth on the west coast of the north island, is named “Talula Does the Hula From Hawaii“.
The Family court was told that the child is so mortified she has not told any of her friends her real name.
Judge Robert Murfitt ruled that the name was a social disability. The girl’s parents have separated and she has been placed under the court’s guardianship while a new name is selected.
Judge Murfitt says he is appalled by the judgement of some parents. He says in New Zealand there are children called Midnight Chardonnay, Number 16 Bus Shelter, Violence and Benson and Hedges (twins). Another set of twins were (should that be “was”?) called Fish and Chips. Some children in Taranaki had been named after six-cylinder Ford cars.
“Recently, for the first time in my experience as a Family Court judge, the name of a child described in text language has emerged,” Judge Murfitt said. On that occasion the mother had named her daughter O.crnia but was prepared to concede to a condition of a parenting order so it could be adjusted to Oceania.
Based on an article by New Zealand correspondent Kerri Ritchie
Ærchies Archive - Digital Detritus 
I thought it was bad enough my mother gave me a Gaelic name nobody can spell. But at least it isn’t Siobhan, which nobody can spell or pronounce.
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I have no problems with Shivorn [grin] at least not until you ask me to spell it – – –
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Here in the UK, many a poor child, even girl has been named after an entire football team!!!
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we used to have a member of staff with a gaelic name – Aoife. It’s pronounced Eva…
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You just knew I had to do this, didn’t you, Archie?
What Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii Means
You are a seeker. You often find yourself restless – and you have a lot of questions about life.
You tend to travel often, to fairly random locations. You’re most comfortable when you’re far away from home.
You are quite passionate and easily tempted. Your impulses sometimes get you into trouble.
You are usually the best at everything … you strive for perfection.
You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive.
You have the classic “Type A” personality.
You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow.
You are light hearted and accepting. You don’t get worked up easily.
Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is.
You are a very lucky person. Things just always seem to go your way.
And because you’re so lucky, you don’t really have a lot of worries. You just hope for the best in life.
You’re sometimes a little guilty of being greedy. Spread your luck around a little to people who need it.
You are balanced, orderly, and organized. You like your ducks in a row.
You are powerful and competent, especially in the workplace.
People can see you as stubborn and headstrong. You definitely have a dominant personality.
You are well rounded, with a complete perspective on life.
You are solid and dependable. You are loyal, and people can count on you.
At times, you can be a bit too serious. You tend to put too much pressure on yourself.
You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone.
You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together.
At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together.
You are the total package – suave, sexy, smart, and strong.
You have the whole world under your spell, and you can influence almost everyone you know.
You don’t always resist your urges to crush the weak. Just remember, they don’t have as much going for them as you do.
You are truly an original person. You have amazing ideas, and the power to carry them out.
Success comes rather easily for you… especially in business and academia.
Some people find you to be selfish and a bit overbearing. You’re a strong person.
You are loving, compassionate, and ruled by your feelings.
You are able to be a foundation for other people… but you still know how to have fun.
Sometimes your emotions weigh you down, but you generally feel free from them.
You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You’re always up to something.
You have a ton of energy, and most people can’t handle you. You’re very intense.
You definitely are a handful, and you’re likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun.
You are confident, self assured, and capable. You are not easily intimidated.
You master any and all skills easily. You don’t have to work hard for what you want.
You make your life out to be exactly how you want it. And you’ll knock down anyone who gets in your way!
You are very charming… dangerously so. You have the potential to break a lot of hearts.
You know how what you want, how to get it, and that you will get it.
You have the power to rule the world. Let’s hope you’re a benevolent dictator!
You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It’s easy to get you excited… which can be a good or bad thing.
You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don’t stick with any one thing for very long.
You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start.
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And my name in Gaelic is “Eilish” … and the daughter of the pretty lady our son is seeing is Saoirse … as pretty as her mother. I think it’s pronounced “Sear+sha” and it means “freedom”. Our daughter Shona is also named a Gaelic name … it means “lullaby” and is a misnomer 😉 I love the Irish and Scottish names! There’s a fab site for these names … Google “Irish Names” and take the 2nd one .. http://www.babynamesofireland.com/ It’s supposed to have this bloke pronouncing the names but unfortunately I can’t get it to work.
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@ Blue, Yes, I have heard of that happening – and I admit to having had an urge to name a son after the Aussie cricket team – – –
@ nursem, I like that – it has a pleasant look to the way it sits on the page.
@ Gary, I just knew someone would do that! 😉
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Shit! I commented on your other post before I read this one…:-P
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This reminds me a of a child I read about in Eufaula, AL several years ago. She was in the news paper for winning a spelling bee in school (she was a 6 year old at the time). Her name? Lasagna. No wonder the girl could spell! I have to wonder what happened to little Lasagna. She’s an adult now, and I wonder if she had the smarts to beg the courts to change her name.
What we forget sometimes is that a name can socially help or inhibit our children. I’m not saying that the name is everything, but it is a part of a first encounter with a person. How seriously are you going to take an adult with a name like “Lasagna?”
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Yes, Jessicanettles, can’t you just see Brandi or Fawn in the CEO’s office? Think, parents, think. Do you want them to be strippers when they grow up?
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Absolutely true story: My last name use to be Polack; a derogatory term for someone who is Polish. Imagine going all through elementary, junior high and high school with THAT! Psychological issues abound. When I got married, I took my wife’s name. It’s true!!!
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To Buff:
When I was in Ireland some 20 years ago, I met a woman named Eilish Conlon. Her claim to fame was she could spell her name on a calculator. I always said that if I ever had a kid, I’d give my kid an Irish name.
Eilish is a nice name.
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That’s too funny. I was recently re-telling a story I once heard about a woman who named her daughter “Chlamydia”. This, apparently, was overheard at the beach one day as the mother called out loudly, “Chlamydia! Chlamydia!”
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Holy jeez. That is ridiculous. It reminds me of a name I heard – a new mother named her child Meconium Fenyx. For those of you who don’t know, meconium is the first defecation an infant does after birth.
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Eilish sounds much better than plain old Elizabeth 😉
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Wow, this really gained a life of its own! Some wonderful additions to the list 🙂
Parents are weird!
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…then there was Shith-eed, spelled, “Shithead.”
Swear to doG it’s true…
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I can believe that.
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I found your site on technorati and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. Looking forward to reading more from you down the road!
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Hey, nice tips. I’ll buy a bottle of beer to that man from that chat who told me to go to your site 🙂
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Hmmm – looks like a new way for spammers to get through akismet. I’ll leave this here and see what follows.
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Eilish is a ugly name sounds lyke eyelash lol
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