I want to be called Light Breeze: Teen legally known as 'Girl' sues Icelandic government in name wrangle

A fifteen-year-old teenager is suing the Icelandic state for the right to be legally recognised by the name given to her by her mother.

Blaer, which means 'light breeze' in Icelandic, is not on a government-approved list of names.

Because her mother's chosen name was rejected, Blaer is identified as 'Stulka' - which means 'girl' - on all official documentation.

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Iceland, like a handful of other countries including Germany, Sweden and Denmark, have strict rules about what names a baby can be given.

Iceland's Personal Names Register is a catalogue  with a list of 1,853 female names and 1,712 males names that fit Icelandic grammar and pronunciation rules. It was created to protect children from the embarrassment and ridicule that could potentially stem from being given an unusual name. Parents must take a name from the list or apply to a  committee for special permission to use a name of their choice.

Blaer's mother, Bjork Eidsdottir, only learned her choice of name was not on the official list after her daughter was baptised.

"I had no idea that the name wasn't on the list," said Ms Eidsdottir.

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Ms Eidsdottir knew a Blaer whose name had been accepted in 1973 - but in her daughter's case a panel turned down their application on the grounds that the word 'Blaer' signifies someone of the male gender.

Blaer's lawsuit is the first time someone has challenged a decision by the Icelandic Naming Committee in court. If successful it could set a precedent and loosen the rules set around baby names.

The law has relaxed to a degree in recent years - the name Elvis is now permitted - and foreigners are allowed to choose their own name. But choices like Cara, Carolina and Christa have been rejected because the letter "c" is not part of the Icelandic alphabet.

The panel is made up of three people.

Agusta Thorbergsdottir, the head of the committee, was appointed by the government to undertake this unusual task for a four-year term.

She said: "The law is pretty straightforward so in many cases it's clearly going to be a yes or a no."

Bit other cases can be less black and white, she said.

"What one person finds beautiful, another person may find ugly," she added. She pointed to "Satania" as one name that was rejected because it was deemed too close to 'Satan'.

First names are significant in Iceland. Icelanders are listed in the phone book by their first names rather than their surname.

The court is due to decide Blear's lawsuit on January 25, but if the committee's decision is not overturned, Ms Eidsdottir is prepared to take her case to the country's Supreme Court.

"So many strange names have been allowed, which makes this even more frustrating because Blaer is a perfectly Icelandic name," she said. "It seems like a basic human right to be able to name your child what you want, especially if it doesn't harm your child in any way."

"And my daughter loves her name," she added.