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Swede Tequila raises a glass to 'new' name

Published: 27 Feb 12 12:58 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/39356/20120227/

A Swedish teen girl named Tequila is celebrating news that her name had been officially recognized by Swedish tax authorities – 14 years after she was born.

Tequila Wikinghielm from Motala, central Sweden, has always faced problems when it came to her name, reported the local Östgöta Correspondenten newspaper

Previously, Sweden’s Tax Agency (Skatteverket) had simply refused to recognize the Swedish teen's name as legitimate when she was born in August 1997.

The family protested the decision, taking the case all the way to the Supreme Administrative Court (Regeringesrättan), which also rejected their bid to name the girl after the spirit often associated with Mexico.

According to Sweden's naming laws, the Tax Agency has the power to decide which names are approved for children born in Sweden.

"First names shall not be approved if they can cause offense or can be supposed to cause discomfort for the one using it, or names which for some obvious reason are not suitable as a first name," the law states.

As a result, the young girl was forced to accept the ruling and took the name Quila instead.

Despite this, Tequila claimed she has always called herself Tequila, along with her friends and family.

The girl is currently in the eighth grade and plans to be confirmed in the spring, which means she must be baptized first.

As she was never baptized as a child, Tequila decided to take another shot at getting the Tax Agency to approve her name.

This time, she sent her own personal plea explaining how she has grown into the name and that she wanted it to be official before her baptism.

A response came before long.

“Mum invited the family to lunch and when we sat around the table, I had a cake in front of me that said Tequila and the date - January 16, 2012 and an envelope,” Tequila told the corren.se.

In the package was the official document from the Tax Agency stating that her current name is Tequila.

“I started bawling. I’ll be framing this paper,” she said.

While the family was certainly in good spirits, there was no word on exactly what the drink of choice was for celebrating the 14-year-old Tequila.

Oliver Gee (news@thelocal.se)

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14:30 February 27, 2012 by johnny1939
What's in a name? I have often wished that my parents would have been more inventive than naming me old stupid boring Marianne hehe
15:39 February 27, 2012 by Svensksmith
Wish my parents hadn't named me Sue.
16:18 February 27, 2012 by muscle
:) but the name looks great :P. I know she is a kid but if she had been an adult, say 25 30 years of age, Tequila Wow awesome :P Wearing boots with silver spurs and a gun on the side.. a weed in the mouth and a cow boy hat. WOA cool :P
16:37 February 27, 2012 by zooeden
That shows you guys people are just animals...
16:37 February 27, 2012 by acidcritic
The family chose that name to help the girl to get a good husband. Effectively, such a hot name is going to attract lots of "friendly" fellows. Worse is the case of the mother who named "Google" to her son.
19:09 February 27, 2012 by Camilla Maria
I am a half swedish american and always thought it was great idea to have the "name police" so stupid people can't name there children stupid names.All I can think is they named there child after the alcohol that maybe got her here..
08:48 February 28, 2012 by muscle
@Camilla Maria

either this or perhaps the family was too fond of watching movies like Colombiana or similar. where the whole movie is named after a character . Maybe! :)
09:38 February 28, 2012 by GBGcommuter
" name the girl after the spirit often associated with Mexico." Ooooh have you heard of this drink called "Champagne" often associated with France. Duh!!!
09:59 February 29, 2012 by Marc the Texan
It's the name of half of the topless dancers in Texas who are Hispanic. I'll just add, I've had lots of Tequila.
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