THERE are few things in this world that receive as much love as Nutella.
There’s even a day to commemorate the delicious hazelnut spread — World Nutella Day is coming up on February 5th! But one couple in France recently took their love for Nutella to a whole new level.
According to French newspaper La Voix Du Nord, a court in the city of Valenciennes ruled that a baby girl’s parents could not name their daughter Nutella.
“The name ‘Nutella’ given to the child is the trade name of a spread,” the court’s official decision read, adding that it is “contrary to the child’s interest” to be named Nutella, as it “can only lead to teasing or disparaging thoughts”.
When the parents failed to show up on their court date, the judge renamed the now 4-month-old baby Ella.
Earlier this month, a couple in the nearby town of Raismes receive a similar verdict after they tried to name their daughter Fraise, which is French for “strawberry.”
According to the same article from La Voix Du Nord, the parents said that they wanted a name that was “original, not common.”
But the judge argued that the name Fraise would lead to mockery, particularly in light of the slang phrase “ramène ta fraise,” which roughly translates to “get your ass over here.” The baby girl will be renamed Fraisine, a 19th century name that the judge approved.
Until 1993, French parents had to choose their baby names from a list of legally acceptable options. Under President François Mitterand, they received more freedom — but with conditions.
Birth certificate registrars are obliged to inform their local court if a baby name seems to go against the child’s best interests, at which point a judge can decide to ban the name.
And in the case of baby Nutella and baby Strawberry, the judge did just that. While it’s unclear if the two sets of parents know each other, it has been proven that their food item names of choice go extremely well together.
