Vladimir Putin has admirers, even beyond Russia’s borders. So much so that a Swedish couple recently decided to bless their newborn son with the first name “Vladimir Putin”. The registry office put an end to this and refused to register the first name.
The parents, who live in a small village in southern Sweden, chose to name their son “Vladimir Putin,” the usual transcription of the Russian president’s name in both Swedish and English.
According to the registry office, the name falls into the category of “inappropriate names”. The Swedish tax authorities said: “A first name must not insult or embarrass the person with the name, or be considered inappropriate for any reason.”
“Surnames are not appropriate as first names, and this also applies to names that are similar to surnames,” the tax authorities said in a statement dated the beginning of this month.
The Swedish tax authorities also refused to accept that “Vladimir” and “Putin” could be considered separate first names. In this case, the tax authorities decided that the “Vladimir Putin” mixture should be fully evaluated.
A new registration form has been sent to the parents of the first name. It is not clear which first name they ultimately chose.
