Gwen Stefani and husband Gavin Rossdale today welcome their new baby boy, Zuma Nesta Rock.
Zuma weighed in at 8 pounds and 5 ounces, and the whole family is said to be happy and healthy.
It is thought that the name Zuma is taken from the name of a beach in Malibu. They wouldn’t be the first to use it as inspiration - Neil Young’s 1975 album was also called Zuma.
The list of Switzerland’s most popular baby names in 2007 has been released, with Luca and Sara/Sarah coming out on top for boys and girls respectively across all language regions.
In German-speaking regions, Lena and Tim were the top two. Nathan and Emma led the way in French-speaking areas.
Samuel and Anna both saw sharp declines this year, dropping from first to tenth and ninth place respectively, in French and German regions.
51.3% of new born Swiss babies were boys.
Talula Does The Hula In Hawaii kicked up a bit of a fuss recently. But that’s nothing compared to what name-change enthusiast Eugene Volokh has uncovered. Not all of these made it through the net. But others…
1069
“The only way [my] identity can be expressed is 1069,” claimed Michael Herbert Dengler. “The third character, 6, is equal to the relationship I have with the universe in my understanding of space of my spatial occupancy through this life.”
Verdict - REJECTED
III (pronounced ‘three’)
Thomas Boyd Richie III wanted to shorten his name. Did he go for Tom? No, he went for Roman Numerals.
Verdict - REJECTED
Misteri Nigger (silent second i - pronounced Mister)
I can’t for the life of me figure out why the second i would be silent. So ridiculous.
Verdict - REJECTED
Santa Claus
This name has caused some dispute. Disallowed in Ohio, 1992 - “The petitioner is seeking more than a name change, he is seeking the identity of an individual that this culture has recognized throughout the world, for well over one hundred years.” In other words, the petitioner was banned for an attempt to steal Santa’s identity.
However, in Utah, 2001 - “However, Porter has the right to select the name by which he is known, within very broad limits.” The name was allowed, and someone has the coolest driving licence ever.
Verdict - ACCEPTED & REJECTED
Koriander
With no last name to accompany it. Plain Koriander. Chosen by it’s owner for her “attraction to a name that sounds appropriate for her work as an artisan.”
Verdict - ACCEPTED
They
The rationale for this is so great that I won’t add anything to it. “‘They do this,’ or ‘They’re to blame for that.’ Who is this ‘they’ everyone talks about? ‘They’ accomplish such great things. Somebody had to take responsibility.”
Verdict - ACCEPTED
Darren QX (pronounced ‘Lloyd’)
Was Darren looking to add a postnominal QC, for Queen’s Counsel, to his name? X and C are pretty close together. Oh no wait, QX is pronounced ‘Lloyd. Right.
Verdict - ACCEPTED
Bean!
Must be addressed with a raised pitch and volume. And a swift flick of the groin area.
Verdict - ACCEPTED
KentuckyFriedCruelty.com
Web marketers take note - should all else fail, change your name to your domain name.
Verdict - ACCEPTED
__________________
Massive props to Eugene Volokh for this excellent, and hilarious, research.
It appears that naming babies after the the event itself wasn’t enough, as swathes of Chinese parents have been branding their children based on the Beijing 2008 Olympic Mascots.
In case you didn’t know, this summer’s Olympic Games will feature five adorably cute mascots, collectively known as ‘Fuwa‘:
From the moment I saw these cuddly characters, I understood why they’ve been inspiring parents in big C.
Starting from the left, we begin with the aptly named Beibei, representing the fish, whose name has been given to 880 Chinese babies.
Next up is Jingjing, who reps the panda, and the 1,240 tots with the same name.
Centre of the pack is Huanhuan, symbolising the Olympic flame. 1,063 newborns have been given this moniker.
Carrying on, we have Yingying, the Tibetan antelope, who sadly has inspired the fewest new parents with just 624 namesakes.
Last but not least is Nini the swallow, who narrowly pipped Yingying in a photo finish, with 642.
Combine the first half of each name into one phrase, and you get ‘Welcome to Beijing’. It’s almost as if they planned it!
Source: Reuters