Which countries have official lists of allowed baby names?
Switzerland and Germany both have it. If you’re foreign, however, you can call your kids names not on the list if you can show that it’s common in your country. I think it’s a good idea, because some parents try to call their kids ridiculous names. A couple in Australia recently called their kid ‘Superman’, only after they were prevented from calling him ‘4real’. What you’re called can have a big impact on your life. It’s hard to take somebody seriously, after all, when they have a ridiculous name. In the UK, a registrar can refuse to register a birth though (I suppose in extreme circumstances like the Australian example).
