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Parents win fight for permission to give baby ‘offensive’ name

It’s hardly unusual to hear of a baby being given an unusual name. In fact, it’s more surprising when the name is, well, normal. These days, anything goes, and parents are taking their inspiration from many places other than the baby name books.

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For example, the animal kingdom. One Spanish couple has made the news for giving their baby boy a name to reflect their love of animals: Lobo, or “Wolf” in English.

It’s unlikely to reach the top of the baby name chart, but to each their own, right? Well, in this case, not without a fight. Nako and Maria Javierre were initially told by the Madrid Civil Registry Office that they couldn’t name their tot Wolf because it might be “offensive.”

The couple refused to back down, however, and created an online petition to garner support for their baby name choice. After the petition reached 25,000 signatures, the Spanish authorities reviewed the application and eventually approved their request.

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It’s extremely rare for authorities to interfere in parents’ baby-naming decisions, but this isn’t the first time it’s happened. Earlier this year, a U.K. judge ruled that a mother could not call her children Cyanide and Preacher.

Should parents be allowed to name their kids whatever they choose, no matter how crazy or offensive other people may deem those names to be? Of course they should. It’s nobody else’s damn business — like any other parenting decision. The only consideration should be whether the child could suffer as a result of their name. Nobody wants their little Preacher or Wolf to be bullied. But plenty of kids with regular names get bullied too. Plus, an unusual name can set a child apart in a good way. It’s not a name most people will forget, which is always an advantage. It may make them feel special or unique. And there’s always the chance that people with an unusual name strive to live up to that name in some way.

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Let’s hope little Wolf loves his name — his parents have gone to enough effort to get it for him.

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