Meanwhile in Iceland of the Day
Fifteen-year-old Blaer Bjarkardottir (shown left in the photo) is suing Iceland for the right to use her given name, which means “light breeze” in Icelandic. The Scandinavian state has replaced her name with “Stulka” (“girl) on all of her official documents, as “Blaer” is not listed on the country’s Personal Names Register, or a list of 1712 male and 1853 female names that Icelandic officials believe “will protect children from embarrassment.”
Blaer’s mother, Bjork Eidsdottir (shown right) did not realize her daughter’s name wasn’t pre-approved on the list until a panel turned it down on the grounds that “Blaer” takes a masculine article. This case marks the first time an Iceland resident has challenged a names committee decision in court.
Guh
