Aussie healthcare worker reveals 'wildest' names she's come across in hospital
From using Roman numerals to pronouncing the dash, check out the bizarre collection of names people have chosen.
Baby names have long been the source of controversy and conversation, whether it's their popularity or downright strangeness — everyone has an opinion.
A Tassie healthcare worker says she has encountered some bizarre names in her line of work, sparking a heated discussion online. "One of our favourite things as healthcare workers is to talk about some of the names we come across, especially for young people," the Aussie said.
"A few years ago, 'ab-se-dee' [ABCDE] was making the rounds — just keeping things really easy for that child."
Healthcare worker lists other ‘wild’ names
The healthcare worker claimed she came across a "young girl" who she thought was called 'Leah' because her name was spelt 'Le-a'. "You actually pronounce the hyphen as a dash, so it's pronounced Ledasha," she said.
Another name that stumped the woman was 'CVIIILYN', which she thought was pronounced 'Civillian'. The name is actually said as 'Caitlyn' because the 'VIII' in the name was meant to be Roman Numerals — meaning it represented the number 8.
The final name she claimed to have encountered was that of a "young child in the paediatric room". "The parents had named their child 'Shi-thead'," she said. "I don't even know how they're allowed to register this." The name is said to be pronounced 'Shi-th-eed'.
Names that have stopped people in their tracks
Hundreds responded to the video, adding more claims of odd names. "I know a couple who named their kid McLovin," one person said. "I just picked my son up from after-school care and there was a kid named Ricochet," another shared.
Towards the end of 2023, an ABC Journalist made headlines for naming her baby 'Methamphetamine Rules' in the "name of journalism". Following the incident, the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages admitted to their mistake, saying they had "strengthened" their system so it never happens again.
Across the pond in New Zealand in a renowned case, a nine-year-old girl was so embarrassed she won a new name from a family court judge, according to Reuters and other publications. What was her original name? 'Talula Does the Hula from Hawaii'.
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What are the rules around baby names?
Each state or territory has its own Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act and supplementary policies to restrict the use of certain names.
Across most jurisdictions, the following are prohibited — although each name is looked at on a case-by-case basis:
Names that are "obscene or offensive". For example, swear words, racial slurs or drug references.
Names that are "too long". In NSW, the maximum number of characters for each of the family, given and middle names is 50.
The use of symbols without phonetic significance, such as '?' or '@'.
Using an official title or rank in a name such as President, Judge or Doctor.
Names that may be "impractical for daily use in the community".
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