skip to main content

Reader's Paradise

OT....I have a question regarding Iceland

13 years ago

I have a question regarding Iceland ...

Last evening during a family discussion the topic of choosing a first name came up. Someone insisted that it is not legal, in Iceland, to select your own choice and that your name must come from a list of acceptable Icelandic names.

Can anyone clarify this?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (8)

sheriz6
13 years ago
Yoyobon, there was an article on NPR recently about that subject, link is below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Icelandic names
dido1
13 years ago
It's been in the news recently - yes, so far as I can make out.
Related Discussions
wanted: ot - i have a question regarding import laws
Q
Comments (2)
Texas State Dept of Agriculture in Austin. Also check with your Texas A&M Cooperative Extension Service office which is usually in your local county courthouse or county or state offices blue pages of the phone book. You probably have other agriculture schools in Texas as well. I'm not aware that ALL imports have to be inspected but I do know many which are shipped into the citrus areas along the Gulf and Rio Grande areas must be inspected. They are trying to prevent disease which might ruin ag industries such as citrus.
...See More
Does having a pet mean a smelly home?
Q
Comments (74)
I have two largish dogs (a mixed breed and a golden) and, yes, I do think my house sometimes smells like I have dogs. I clean, I wash linens and dog beds, use scents and odor neutralizers, have air purifiers (for allergies, really) etc., but at some point I think it's kind of inevitable. Like the tumbleweeds of golden retriever hair all over my house in the spring. ;) I also wanted to chime in and say that, when it comes to your home, there's more than just the potential for smell that you have to consider. For example, one of mine just broke a window jumping up and barking at a dog walking by on the sidewalk. The other recently put a big dent in the wall (with her hip) while wrestling with her "brother." These are kind of extreme examples (and I have young, high energy dogs), but, at least in my experience, it's inevitable that a pet will barf on your expensive rug or a dog will randomly decide to "dig" your new sofa, etc. (And yes, of course training is important, but they're still dogs and will sometimes act like it.) If you and your husband aren't prepared to let these things kind of roll off your back -- and it would be understandable if you weren't! -- I'm not sure a pet, dog or cat, is a good idea. Most of us make adjustments in our lives, one way or another, for our pets, and you'd have to figure out whether that's something you're interested in doing. A friend of mine has a really lovely standard poodle (from a great breeder), who doesn't shed. I don't want to get into the "designer dog" drama but I would strongly suggest that you do a lot of research before buying a purposely bred mixed breed dog (or buying any dog from anyone!). I have a rescue and a purebred from a fantastic breeder, and don't think either choice is right or wrong. Just be honest with yourself about your family's wants, needs and limitations are.
...See More
Have you seen the movie The King's Speech?
Q
Comments (47)
Still with furs. I lived for a year in Canada (Ottawa) a cold country and very chilly city and someone gave me their very old fur coat. It was extremely heavy and rather moth eaten, probably less mouton and more dead cat. One day I walked into the city library and, though it was snowing as I left home, it was raining by the time I got there . . . and my goodness did that soggy coat pong. All eyes and noses followed me round the shelves until, in sheer embarrassment, I had to take it off and hide it behind a distant radiator where it steamed-off noxious vapours. When I returned to the UK the coat stayed behind. BTW Queen Elizabeth, was never Princess of Wales, just Duchess of York, as George VI went straight from D of Y to King. When Diana became Princess of Wales it was noted that the title hadn't been used since the time of the marriage of George V in 1890 something to Mary of Teck, always know as Old Queen Mary when I was a child. Also a fact I only became aware of recently, the title of Queen Mother was specially created for Queen Elizabeth on the death of George VI . . . probably much more than you (true US republicans all) needed to know. ;-)
...See More
O/T... I'm sorry, I've got to say it....
Q
Comments (77)
Sheila, thank you for responding.Your loyalties to Justice and kindness etc. are for me included under the heading of God, that is, Justice and kindness/charity. Yet I don't doubt that there are some differences in the details of our thinking. Paul, I had expected the dialog to be political. That it has become, in part, a question of religion was a surprise. Ingrid, anyone who has ever worked for the federal government knows that what Hillary did with her Email server brings jail time. No excuses. The reason for such a severe penalty is because of the severe damage such behavior causes, that is, the death of American military and intelligence members as well as revealing classified state secrets. She was handling material of the highest classification. In addition there is sufficient evidence that her Email was indeed hacked. That she was exonerated by a politicized Justice Department does not rectify the situation. The most generous argument for not prosecuting her is that it could have destabilized the American electoral process, a significant consideration. In other, words her exoneration was not based on her innocence (because she was not innocent) but rather on practical considerations. Many of the men who wrote the Constitution were deists and the document reflects that. The framers of the Constitution were opposed to an established state religion, not opposed to God. The Constitution has provided wide enough scope for both atheists and those who believe in God to flourish. And now I will stop posting on this topic as I have said what I have to say. Cath
...See More
sheriz6
13 years ago
More in the news this morning.

Here is a link that might be useful: Icelandic Girl Wins Right to Use Name
J C
13 years ago
I remember that France used to have this rule, but they have since rescinded it.

Seeing some of the names parents are giving their children these days, I can see why such a rule might be a good idea (says the grumpy old curmudgeon...harumph...harumph.)
netla
13 years ago
There is a list, yes, but the names committee will generally accept new names as long as they have no foreign letters (such as C, Q, Z, W), are not likely to cause public outrage or embarrassment to the person given the name (for example, SatanÃÂa and LÃÂºsifer were rejected), are given to a person of the "wrong" gender or do not fit into the grammar system (you have to be able to decline them according to Icelandic grammar rules).

BlÃÂ¦r (this is the proper Icelandic spelling of the name of the girl in the article) was rejected because of the last two rules - the committee considered it to be masculine and did not accept the feminine declension her mother invented for it (even though it follows proper grammar rules). The male version goes BlÃÂ¦r-BlÃÂ¦-BlÃÂ¦-BlÃÂ¦s, and the feminine BlÃÂ¦r-BlÃÂ¦-BlÃÂ¦-BlÃÂ¦var.

The court decision to allow BlÃÂ¦r to keep her name means that we now have our very first unisex name.
J C
13 years ago
I like that rule!

Years ago my sister and brother-in-law invented a name for their daughter because they couldn't agree on anything. My mother was horrified, and I looked in a baby name book and found a very similar perfectly good Welsh name, Anwyn. She is a teenager now and loves her name and my sister has told me several times that she is grateful that I 'saved' her from the made-up name.

Just my opinion, of course, I am sorry if I offended anyone.
rosefolly
13 years ago
There are - or once were before widespread bureaucracies - traditional cultures where young children were given baby names. When the children reached manhood or womanhood, they chose for themselves adult names, or were named by others according to traits they displayed. I have often thought what a good idea that was. Of course my taste in names when I was a teenager was perfectly dreadful, and any name I chose at that point would have embarrassed me for the rest of my life.

I actually love the name my mother chose for me. But I do know that I am lucky, and that this is not universally true.

Rosefolly
AKA Paula
though I do like being called Rosefolly, too!
netla
13 years ago
I see the gremlins have been at the text again and messed up all the Icelandic letters. How very anglocentric of them.

Related Stories

KITCHEN DESIGN 9 Questions to Ask When Planning a Kitchen Pantry

By Susan Redman

Avoid blunders and get the storage space and layout you need by asking these questions before you begin

HOUZZ TOURS Houzz Tour: Visit a Forward Thinking Family Complex

By Becky Harris

Four planned structures on a double lot smartly make room for the whole family or future renters

DECORATING GUIDES Ditch the Rules but Keep Some Tools

By Becky Dietrich, Interior Designer

Be fearless, but follow some basic decorating strategies to achieve the best results

LANDSCAPE DESIGN 5 Gravel and Stone Types for a Rockin' Landscape

By J. Peterson Garden Design

Give your garden design some textural bam with pebbles, granite, river rocks and other permeable materials

KITCHEN DESIGN Discover the Pull of Microwave Drawers

By Rachel Grace

More accessible, less noticeable and highly space efficient, microwave drawers are a welcome newcomer in kitchen appliances

ARCHITECTURE Back to the Futuro: Tour a Lovingly Restored ‘Spaceship’ Home

By Victoria Harrison

Travel back to the ’60s Space Age with a rare glimpse inside an original House of the Future

REGIONAL GARDEN GUIDES California Gardener's March Checklist

Give natives and tropicals a well-deserved spotlight — plus, discover an easy herb that keeps on giving

LIFE Create a 'Forever House' Connection

By Laura Gaskill

Making beautiful memories and embracing your space can help you feel happy in your home — even if you know you'll move one day

HOUZZ TOURS Houzz Tour: Farm Fresh

Updates bring back the bygone charm of a 19th-century Texas farmhouse, while making it work for a family of 6

MOST POPULAR 5 Ways to Pare Down Your Stuff — Before It Gets in the Door

By Laura Gaskill

Want to free up some room around the house? Rethink gift giving, give yourself a shopping mantra and just say, ‘No, thank you’ to freebies

Sponsored

Whisler Home Improvement

9 Reviews

Franklin County's Committed Home Improvement Professionals

More Discussions

The Game for June

116

July – time for summer reading!

90

The game continues in July

106

Rayma's story - warning it's long

3

Dog days of August .....what book did you choose ?

72