While amazing names have popped up around the world during the confinement period, such as Marie-Corona or Covid-Bryan, France is a little more rigid on the subject.
Lawyer Roland Perez details the rules of civil status at the microphone of Europe 1.
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This year again, two-syllable first names such as Léa, Mila and Léna are popular for little girls.
Same trend among boys where Léo, Hugo and Enzo hold the upper hand.
But containment and the coronavirus pandemic have influenced the choice of certain first names.
In the Philippines and India in particular, children today bear the first names of Marie-Corona, Covid-Bryan, or even Lockdown.
Would this be allowed in France?
Lawyer Roland Perez responds on Europe 1.
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What are the first names prohibited by civil status?
There is no exhaustive list.
First names that are ridiculous, coarse or that do not fit well with the family name are automatically rejected.
In these cases, the civil status officer alerts the public prosecutor, who will then refer the matter to the family court judge to order the parents to change their first name.
If they persist, it is the judge who will decide on the choice of the first name.
It is therefore not completely free in France.
If there is no list of authorized first names, a check is nevertheless carried out.
If the child has more than one first name, the parents can decide to call their child one of the first names that is not the first registered in the civil registry.
If the parents do not agree between them on the choice of the first name, it is the judge who will decide between them.
In which cases can I change my first name?
To do this, one must be of legal age and justify a legitimate reason: real suffering from bearing a given name or the desire to Frenchize one's own.
Another recognized reason: to justify the fact of having had another first name for several years.
All the procedures of this type take place in town hall.