海角大神

Call her the girl with no聽name.

A 15-year-old is suing the听滨肠别濒补苍诲颈肠听蝉迟补迟别 for the right to legally use the聽name聽given to her by her mother. The problem? Blaer, which means "light breeze" in聽Icelandic, is not on a list approved by the government.

Like a handful of other countries, including Germany and Denmark,听Iceland聽has official rules about what a baby can be聽named. In a country comfortable with a firm state role, most people don't question the Personal聽Names聽Register, a list of 1,712 male聽names聽and 1,853 female聽names聽that fit聽Icelandic聽grammar and pronunciation rules and that officials maintain will protect children from embarrassment. Parents can take from the list or apply to a special committee that has the power to say yea or nay.

In Blaer's case, her mother said she learned the聽name聽wasn't on the register only after the priest who baptized the child later informed her he had mistakenly allowed it.

"I had no idea that the聽name聽wasn't on the list, the famous list of聽names聽that you can choose from," said Bjork Eidsdottir, adding she knew a Blaer whose聽name聽was accepted in 1973. This time, the panel turned it down on the grounds that the word Blaer takes a masculine article, despite the fact that it was used for a female character in a novel by聽Iceland's聽revered Nobel Prize-winning author Halldor Laxness.

Given聽names聽are even more significant in tiny聽Iceland聽that in many other countries: Everyone is listed in the phone book by their first聽names. Surnames are based on a parent's given聽name. Even the president, Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, is addressed simply as Olafur.

Blaer is identified as "Stulka" 鈥� or "girl" 鈥� on all her official documents, which has led to years of frustration as she has had to explain the whole story at the bank, renewing her passport and dealing with the country's bureaucracy.

Her mother is hoping that will change with her suit, the first time someone has challenged a聽names聽committee decision in court.

Though the law has become more relaxed in recent years 鈥� with the聽name聽Elvis permitted, inspired by the charismatic rock and roll icon whose聽name聽fits聽Icelandic聽guidelines 鈥� choices like Cara, Carolina, Cesil, and Christa have been rejected outright because the letter "c'' is not part of聽Iceland's聽32-letter alphabet.

"The law is pretty straightforward so in many cases it's clearly going to be a yes or a no," said Agusta Thorbergsdottir, the head of the committee, a panel of three people appointed by the government to a four-year term.

Other cases are more subjective.

"What one person finds beautiful, another person may find ugly," she acknowledged. She pointed to "Satania" as one unacceptable case because it was deemed too close to "Satan."

The board also has veto power over people who want to change their聽names聽later in life, rejecting, for instance, middle聽names聽like Zeppelin and X.

When the artist Birgir Orn Thoroddsen applied to have his聽name聽legally changed to Curver, which he had used in one form or another since age 15, he said he knew full well the committee would reject his application.

"I was inspired by Prince who changed his聽name聽to The Artist Formerly Known As Prince and Puff Daddy who changed his to P. Diddy and then Diddy with seemingly little thought or criticism," he said. "I applied to the committee, but of course I got the 'No' that I expected."

On his thirtieth birthday, he bought a full-page advertisement that read, "From February 1, 2006, I hereby change my聽name聽to Curver Thoroddsen. I ask the nation, my friends and colleagues to respect my decision."

"I can understand a clause to protect children from being聽named聽something like 'Dog poo,' but it is strange that an adult cannot change his聽name聽to what he truly wants," he said.

Thoroddsen is keeping his protest to the media. But Eidsdottir says she is prepared to take her case all the way to the country's Supreme Court if a court doesn't overturn the commission decision on Jan. 25.

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

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