Judge Renames Baby, Bans Parents From Naming Him After Literary Character

When it comes to deciding what to name their kids, many parents choose something that pays tribute to a beloved family member, while others use a name inspired by a favorite character from a book or even a TV show. Usually doing that is no big deal since the names wind up being mostly mainstream anyway, but for one couple, it landed them in court where a judge renamed their kid and banned them from using the name they chose.

It happened to an Italian couple back in 2008 after they named their son Venerdi, which is Italian for Friday. The boy was named after a character from Daniel Defoe's 1719 novel Robinson Carusoe. The parents, known only as Mara O. and Roberto G., thought the name was "nice," however, because the character in the book was a servant, the judge disagreed. He felt the name would expose the boy to "mockery" since it was associated with "subservience and inferiority," and he renamed the child Gregorio after the saint's day on which he was born.

While the ruling might seem unfair, it is in line with the country's laws. One lawyer told The Telegraph that judges can and should change babies names "when the child's name is likely to limit social interaction and create insecurity." Frustrated by the outcome, the parents threatened to call their next child Mercoledi, which is Italian for Wednesday.