are they 4real?

From the UK Daily Telegraph and widely reported

'This baby's name is not 4Real', couple told

By Paul Willis

Last Updated: 1:49am BST 09/08/2007

A couple has got over the disappointment of having their choice of 4Real as the name for their baby son turned down by calling him Superman instead.

Pat and Sheena Wheaton were told by the government registry in New Zealand they could not register the name because it included a digit.

Mr Wheaton said he came up with the unlikely moniker after seeing the baby for the first time in an ultrasound scan and realising their baby was "for real".

However, the family has refused to let the law or good taste get in the way of their choice, insisting they will continue to refer to their two-month-old son as 4Real.

In the meantime they plan to officially name him Superman.

"No matter what, its going to stay 4Real," Mr Wheaton told the New Zealand Herald newspaper, "I'm certainly not a quitter".

He said criticism of the couple posted on the internet regarding their choice of name had been difficult to handle.

"I did go online and Google some of the stories and as tough as I am, it does get to you, but there's no point getting upset," he said.

"It could be a 10-year-old school girl making those comments."

A spokesman for the Department of Internal Affairs, which operates the registry, told the newspaper discussions with the Wheatons about their son's name were continuing.

Wacky baby names

1. Kal-el Coppola (Son of actor Nicolas Cage)

2. Audio Science (Son of actress Shannyn Sossaman)

3. Bluebell Madonna (Daughter of Singer Geri Halliwell)

4. Daisy Boo (Daughter of chef Jamie Oliver)

5. Pilot Inspektor (Son of actress Beth Riesgraf and actor Jason Lee)

6. Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily (Daughter of television presenter Paula Yates and Singer Michael Hutchence)

7. Dixie Dot (Daughter of television presenter Anna Ryder Richardson)

8. God'Iss Love Stone (Daughter of Singer Lil'Mo)

9. Jermajesty (Son of Singer Jermaine Jackson)

10. Apple (Daughter of actress Gwyneth Paltrow and singer Chris Martin)

As if that wasn't already bad enough, a book has just been published called Sci-Fi Baby Names: 500 Out-of-This-World Baby Names from Anakin to Zardoz by Brooklyn author Robert Schnakenberg.



From the book description

Babies are the courageous explorers of brave new worlds so why not name them after the most memorable characters in science fiction? Sci-Fi Baby Names compiles more than 500 distinctive names from movies, books, and television shows into a handy illustrated reference. Choose "James" to honor the captain of the starship Enterprise. Choose "Leia" (or "Leah") to honor the sister of Luke Skywalker. Choose "Neo" to salute the ultra-cool messiah from The Matrix. Hardcore fans can go even further with exotic names like "Barbarella," "Beldar," and "Tron" (just don't send us the therapy bills). Arranged by category for quick reference with chapters such as Power Names, Feminine Names, and Intellectual Names Sci-Fi Baby Names is a terrific gift for expecting parents and a wonderful roll call of our favorite science-fiction characters.

I reckon Anakin is alright and so is Padme. Even better if a baby girl is called Padme Amidala. Yoda on the other hand...

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I so do not want to be at work this week...