Nowadays, it seems like many parents are coming up with the most ridiculous names to call their children. But it turns out some of these eclectic name choices might be illegal.
That’s what happened to one mother who chose a unique moniker for her baby. Australian mom-of-four Claire Alexander-Johnson was elated to reveal the birth of her newest baby to social media. In a post she made to her Instagram account, @Jetsetmama, the proud mom revealed her son’s arrival as well as the distinctive name she’d given him.
“Welcome to the family Citizen Sage Alexander-Johnston,” she captioned the post. However, Claire went on to reveal she and her partner encountered some trouble when they informed their family of their son’s name prior to his arrival. “Sorry this naming business has taken so long! We had a bit of a curveball when we announced your name to our family, as someone pointed out, it’s possibly illegal to name you that in Australia, as it falls loosely under the category of ‘title’ like ‘King’ ‘Duke’ ‘Lord’ or ‘Captain’.”
After a loved one told the expecting couple the name could be problematic, they considered changing the name altogether. “We tried to change it. ‘Disco’ even came back into play! But nothing else felt right for you as a Libra, with a [very sensible and grounded] Capricorn moon,” she wrote, explaining the parents didn’t feel right about moving away from their original moniker. “So, Citizen you are, and always will be- a Citizen of the world.”
The Sun reports that, under Australian law, any names that are “misleading” to the public are technically illegal. “The name might contain an official title, position or rank recognised in the community that might mislead others as to whether the person holds that title or rank officially,” the law reads. Names like Lord, Lady, General, and Captain are all no-nos. So, since the moniker Citizen sounds like it might confer some sort of special status or title, the mom and dad weren’t sure if they could use the name.
As for her son’s eclectic middle name of Sage, the beaming mother explained, “And amazing Sage - burning, cleansing, and healing. And in Ancient Greece- a wise man [but you know, no pressure].”
Baby Citizen isn’t the only one of Claire’s four children to have an interesting first name. In fact, all of her children stand-out with their original monikers. Her other kids include Atlas, Everest, and Zephyr. However, not all of Claire’s followers are fans of her baby name choices.
“Hmm!! Not sure but good on you for being ORIGINAL!!” one person commented on her post announcing baby Citizen’s birth. One wrote, “Is his name really Citizen??” Then again, there were some commenters who thought the unique name was brilliant. “Love such a solid meaningful name!” one said, while another wrote, “What an amazing name!!!”
What do you think of this original name choice, BabyGaga readers? Is it adorably unique or too over-the-top? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!