Bad luck for Liam Neeson fans in France! The courts will not let you name your daughter after the iconic actor.
A court in France is hoping to prevent a couple from naming their daughter “Liam,” citing “gender confusion” as the reason for their displeasure at this traditionally male moniker being used for a little girl.
A public prosecutor has taken up the case against an anonymous couple, referencing Irish actor Liam Neeson and Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher, whose mother is also Irish, as proof that the name is intended for only men.
French couple fights to call their daughter Liam.It's bad news for any Liam Neeson fans in France. A French court is not happy with a couple who are trying to name their daughter Liam. They've used the Irish actor as proof in their argument. You can read more about the story here: http://bit.ly/2G1WAHu
Posted by IrishCentral.com on Dé Máirt, 6 Márta 2018
The little girl was born in November 2017 and her parents have been fighting since then for the right to name her Liam. As more conservative naming practices are the norm in France, however, parents are generally expected to stick to a more traditional system which has assigned names to a specific gender. The prosecutors brought the case against the couple as they believe that naming a girl Liam could “create a risk of gender confusion” and could harm the girl socially in the future.
Read more: These Irish baby names are about to become super trendy
We wonder what Liam Neeson makes of the debate?
It is reported that the couple is hiring a lawyer and have postponed their daughter’s christening in the hopes that they can get the matter cleared up and continue with their plan to name her Liam.
In the US, it is not uncommon for a name traditionally used for men to be used for a woman. For example, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively named their daughter James. In France, however, this trend is more looked down upon and unusual names, in general, are not accepted.
It wasn't until 1993, in fact, that parents did not have to pick from a list of government-approved names in France. Even after this, the French government has gone to ban some names they believed were taking it all a step too far. Such names included Fraise, the French word for strawberry.
Read more: Irish baby first names that are super popular in the US
Would you name your little girl Liam? Image: iStock.
The use of Liam as a girl's name is becoming more common, however. According to BabyCenter, it was the 2,664th most popular names for girls in 2017.
Do you think Liam can be used as a girl’s name? Let us know what side of the fence you fall on in the comments section, below.
H/T: Yahoo News
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