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Swedish couple continue fight for right to name their son Q

Published: 5 May 09 12:27 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/19254/20090505/

A Swedish couple from Åre in northern Sweden have taken their fight to name their son Q to the Supreme Administrative Court (Regeringsrätten).

The court will rule if current legislation permits the use of a single letter as a first name.

The parents insist that the boy was not named after the popular figure from the James Bond films and that the decision was instead a last minute one when "Q" was born.

They argue that he answers to the name which they have used since birth.

"He is quite simply Q with half of the inhabitants of the Åre area. There are stranger names in the valley," the couple claim in their appeal of a ruling by the administrative court of appeal (Kammarrätten).

The Supreme Administrative Court on April 21st granted the couple leave to appeal and will consider whether the 1982 names law allows the use of a single letter as a first name.

The couple write that as an alternative they could consider the use of the name "Q:u".

Peter Vinthagen Simpson (news@thelocal.se/+46 8 656 6513)

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#1
15:12 May 5, 2009 by dtes
i think that sweden needs to do better things with my hard earned taxes than to harass people and invade their privacy like this, do away with all of this kind of agencies and give me a refund.
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#2
15:18 May 5, 2009 by peruzzijay
This is simply a result of Boringness. i think that there are no more lakes to walk around in their area!!!
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#3
16:20 May 5, 2009 by ameribrit
Can anyone out there give me a legitimate reason for this unbelievably stupid piece of legislation?

In what is one of the most free societies on the planet some moron and then some followers of the moron all agreed to pass a law that actually restricts/removes the choice of human beings to be known by any name that they choose. If nothing else, as dtes states, it is a colossal waste of time and tax payers money. What use is a name in Sweden anyway, are we not all personnummers here anyway?
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#4
18:46 May 5, 2009 by miller900
While it is a stupid law, why not just spell it Cue?
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#5
19:02 May 5, 2009 by Renfeh Hguh
Stupid law

Stupid name

Stupid parents

The tax office should not have a say in what parents call their children, on the other hand the parents should not be so stupid.

I say let them call the kid Q and the sterilise the parents as they are clearly not too bright and probably should not be breeding.
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#6
19:05 May 5, 2009 by Mzungu
We have a few right dipsticks even in Sweden...

*cue? why not snooker?*
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#7
19:05 May 5, 2009 by High Priestess Kang - Slut
/me grows tired of waiting for Kitten and/or Shark to exhume this

Anyone else think Sweden's law is stupid, now?
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#8
19:18 May 5, 2009 by Mzungu
On the other hand can become hilarious...

[attachment=101:funny_we...mes_12_1.jpg]
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#9
19:42 May 5, 2009 by Renfeh Hguh
It they are going to control the names people use, then perhaps the Gov should take into consideration that English is such a dominant 2nd language here that they should ban old traditional Swedish names that don't go well in an English environment.

I had a great laugh when I found out my colleague's brother was called "Jerker"

The Finish name Pekka is always amusing.
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#10
19:52 May 5, 2009 by High Priestess Kang - Slut
In that regard, Magnus' last name needs to be banned, as well.
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#11
20:05 May 5, 2009 by Johno
As ever, some posters are trying to impose other countries values on what Sweden does. I wont try and say that what Sweden has always done, it should continue doing. However this is not recent. According to http://www.skatteverket.se/nyheterpressrum...2080006776.html the last version of the law is from 1982, and in my understanding is to maintain names to be "Swedish-like", rather than let people choose any old name. In the case in the link, it was about males trying to take the female names Malin and Kristina in a similar case with first names. For surnames, I have a copy of a list published in a 1965 newspaper where they allowed new family names like Talldal and Smedvik, and refused ones like Wandi and Horsvik.

Now keeping this going with strange (in Swedish terms) immigrant names must be tricky, but I think the surname changes for example related to applications to change names. I have found in family history research quite a number who changed surnames to ones that are really unique so that only one small family have them - some feat but better than being Andersson etc for a Swede...

Just to add the latest in the UK where a woman has been refused a passport in the name of Pudsey Bear see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8030523.stm
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#12
20:16 May 5, 2009 by Muttlestar Galactica
Anyone?
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#13
20:26 May 5, 2009 by rong
How about the Swedish name "Gun" for a girl? =)
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#14
21:22 May 5, 2009 by New Yorker
The comments are amusing to say the least, however i don't think the Government has a right to tell people how they should name their Children.

The Parents don't seem too bright either, the last time we had a guy named "W" all hell broke loose ! i don`t think "Q" would do a better job.
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#15
21:29 May 5, 2009 by New Yorker
High Priestess Kang you are so funny aha aha aha aha aha aha aha aha.
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#16
21:38 May 5, 2009 by Greg in Canada
I suppose you could argue that it's a stupid law, but I mostly feel sorry for the kid for having such idiots for parents.

But don't feel too bad about it Swedes, I'm sure we have them the same over here also.
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#17
21:38 May 5, 2009 by High Priestess Kang - Slut
Noes! You so funny!!!

(Srsly - thanks for that. I have been snarling at my monitor all afternoon.)
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#18
21:40 May 5, 2009 by BillyB
what if it was a silent invisible Q?????

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#19
01:02 May 6, 2009 by Miss Kitten
The Swedish Tax agency gets to determine which are acceptable children's names, at least ostensibly, because they claim to care so much about any future abuse or bullying of Swedish children. What they fail to realize is that childhood and adolescence are miserable experiences and that children and teenagers can be the cruelest little psychopaths on the planet. Regardless of their names children will always be abused and bullied by their more sadistic peers. I don't think Skatteverket will be able to help.
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#20
10:03 May 6, 2009 by richparker
Re: 19:42 May 5, 2009 by Renfeh Hguh

One ought to remember this is a two-way road; a former Swedish colleague laughed garrulously for days (not an exageration) at an English co-worker's name: Pippa
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#21
20:35 May 6, 2009 by Englishteacher
I think it's a fine name.
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#22
20:50 May 6, 2009 by Streja
LOL!!!!

Q means cow where I come from. When you say q in Swedish I mean...ku

LOLOL!!!
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#23
20:52 May 6, 2009 by Streja
Just don't be surprised if a kid named fitta will be bullied miss kitten.
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#24
20:54 May 6, 2009 by Miss Kitten
Oh, I wouldn't be. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if a kid named (insert any name here) were bullied in school. My point was that names don't matter. Kids will get teased and bullied regardless.
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#25
20:59 May 6, 2009 by shpongle
I think we should stick to personal numbers

Hello, my number is YYMMDD-ABCD
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#26
21:03 May 6, 2009 by Streja
It's actually ååååmmdd-XXXX

No q's though.

Cue was a pop artist in Sweden though...Hjulström...I'm buuuuurning...
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#27
21:10 May 6, 2009 by 7
how does one distinguish between being fun of and bullied? if the only reason to reject a name is a fear of being picked on for an oddity, then we should forbid glasses, braces on teeth and any other corrective equipment during school hours. we should also require parents to either dress children in school uniforms or from a pre-selected brand selection and color range of clothing. then, the recreational activities need to be categorized. the violin is a definite no-no.

and so on.

and certainly profanity is not acceptable as name. but seriously why can some boys be named annika but not others?
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#28
21:15 May 6, 2009 by Streja
Because they were named before the law arrived on the scene? I don't know.

Kids should not tease or bully anyone I agree.

I was bullied for being ugly, wearing glasse and being good in school. I also have a name that is the same as a famous brand of you know what. Not easy!

I don't think parents should be allowed to name their kids adolf hitler or fitta though. They can't be proper parents.
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#29
21:26 May 6, 2009 by 7
actually, it's come to my attention that there is nothing in the law which specifically prohibits cross-gender naming. and the reason the tax authority allows one but not another is due to a "right" to a "gårdsnamn" --if you are a decedent of the gård annika you can name your son annika. if you have no lineage to "annika" you can't name your son annika. both can name their daughters annika. idiotic.

i agree that profanity is not acceptable. but there's no reason anyone should decide the value of the name of a/an famous/infamous person. if we should judge parents by their choices of names for children should we question the "properness" of your own parents?
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#30
21:37 May 6, 2009 by Streja
of mine?

they were going to name me desirée, but in the last minute lol.

Anyway, I didn't spell my name like it should be until I was like 12, so my friends learnt how to say it and they didn't think it was that weird.
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#31
22:06 May 6, 2009 by 7
well, you did say it wasn't easy to have had your name. should you parents be "judged" by that (ie. parents who named girls anna get high points and those who name girls after foodstuffs low points?)
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#32
22:19 May 6, 2009 by Englishteacher
I have to say I like this forum much better than the German one that Editor BoBs banned me from. There is a German Local AND a swedish one I just learned.

So since I've been out on the loose running wild as a man on run from the law (Editor BoB) I bumped into some of the most intelligent people. I especially like Miss Kittens comments and 007 is spot on the money. I'm only surprised that you havent' had the troubles I've had with Editor BoB: deleting my posts, restricting me from posting at all without any notice, reason or whatever.

I wonder how many others are on the run like me? I've been writing him on a daily basis to ask him what's going on but he just doesnt' respond.

I invite anyone to visit the Local.de and read posts I've made there and see if you disagree wit anything I've said or Editor BoB. I don't know when I sign out if I'll be banned from here too so I bid you all good-bye for now and if you don't hear from me again, well you know that Editor BoB has been protecting you from seeing my posts.

The fact that "they" won't let you NAME your child is mute. You can name your child ANYTHING you want. You must only be persistent and confident of winning in the end. That about covers it for everything. No one can tell you that you can't do something unless you give them the power to do so. It's all mind over matter.
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#33
05:32 May 8, 2009 by wolfen
my name is sunderman.I was adopted and given another name,(a german one) another history,and another race,and point of origin.I have fought all my life to reclaim what is rightfully my birthright.my name is sunderman and that means everything in the world to me.noone has the right to take away a persons name,for whatever reason.
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#34
17:50 May 8, 2009 by Purple_Rache
Yeah, I used to like the name Pippa, but then my Swedish boyfriend told me what it meant in Swedish (slang: to shag).

After I read The Local's other article on the restrictions of naming your kids, I was worried. Because ever since I was young, I have had a name in mind for my (future/maybe) son. Under the restrictions of the tax authority, it's unlikely they'd let me name my child what I want to (it's a surname, and it's a bit weird, too). But different municipalities allow different things, I can hope for that, when the time comes, or just move back with my folks in England, have the baby there, then come back. More paperwork, but I'm quite adamant about the name :)
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#35
18:00 May 8, 2009 by Markbase with an Invisible Q
Adam Ant is a good name.
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#36
13:03 May 15, 2009 by Purple_Rache
*rolls eyes* :)
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#37
13:25 May 15, 2009 by Jamtjim
I dont think that it is any business of the state to dictate to their citizens what they call their kids. And when it comes to the tax office i think we should tell them to piss off and do what they are there for; TO COLLECT TAXES.

An exception I can undrestand is for names which are genuinely offensive. If I wanted to call my daughter "F*%ta" of my son "Godhatesgays" I think I should be prevented from doing so but calling your son Q really is no ones business but your own.

Having said that, I think parents should be more responsible about nameing their kids as, despite what we may wish for, people do tend to draw conclusions based upon our names as well as our appearance.

My mother worked for many years as an infant teacher and she said that she always knew which kids were likely to be trouble by looking at thier names. She said that her heart would sink if she read the class list and saw a plethora of Kylies and Keanus.

I guess it is a product of a free society. Stupid people call their kids stupid things.

Oh and my son Ethelred agrees...
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#38
14:50 May 15, 2009 by Beef
Just wondered if they or anyone for that matter, could just move to another EU country for a while, register the child there, or change their name there and then move back to Sweden? Can Skatterket force you to change your name when applying for your personal number for example?? anyone know?

A mate of mine moved here with his kid and she had a double surname with a hyphen in the middle. Skatteverket forced them to remove the hyphen as it is against the rules.. Again, how far do they take this?? Seems like a huge waste of effort and money to me...
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