We've posted many times about the hilarious and sometimes embarrassing names people give to their children, but what happens if parents don't give their baby a name? That seems as if it would be impossibly rare, but there have been cases where parents wait until some time after the birth to bestow a moniker, and if they wait too long, the state may step in.
To begin with, let’s start with arguably the easiest to answer both of these questions- the United Kingdom. In this case, you have 42 days to name your baby, during which you can expect to occasionally be pestered by officials if you’re taking your sweet time getting around to it. If you pass that time period, you will receive a £200 fine and, if you still refuse to give a name, a government official will name the child for you.
So if a British couple were dillydallying because Dad wants to name the baby boy Hasenpfeffer and Mum is holding out for Tiger, the child might end up named John. The laws vary in other nations, with some regulating what the child can be named. In the US, regulations vary by state. A few states don't require a name at all for the birth certificate, while others will name the child "Baby Girl Smith" or something like that which can be changed later. And states have varying laws on what the surname can be. Read a roundup of these regulations and the cases that brought them to light at Today I Found Out.
(Image credit: Torsten Mangner/CC BY-SA 2.0)