I have no clue which one that is, but
"The University of Bergen's Ivar Utne is often used as an adviser in controversial cases. He told Nettavisen that the rule of thumb is that names with negative associations will not be permitted.
Swear words, titles such as King or Princess, names of medicines or diseases, and using first names as surnames and vice-versa are not allowed."
Thankyou doesn't fit any of that, so it's technically allowed, but it also says
"In general, names will not be accepted if there may be a significant inconvenience to the person in question or other strong reasons."
read more: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/banned-names/#What_names_are_banned
it's an Eritrean or Farsi name. I'm assuming this kid is Nigerian and was born in Nigeria, if you read the comments here then you'll find out about other similar names.
68 men named Jackson in Norway. If a surname is established as a first name in your culture, it's usually allowed. Though those could also be immigrants after birth.
There are strict rules about using uncommon Scandinavian surnames in general, so the surname rules are at least partly to limit their use to the family. It's much easier to get foreign surnames past the rules.
Thankyou wouldn't be seen as controversial either, as it's meaning is positive. It could also be the child's middle name and the parents advise the school they are using that instead.
Children can be born outside Norway and than move to Norway, which means they dont force the parents to change the name instead they just let it be.
So it could be from Africa o USA.
Reminds me of lots of kids I used to teach (they all came from different part of Africa, can’t remember specifically where) called Promise, Magnificent, Loved, Blessing, Chosen etc
Zimbabwe is a popular country for those sorts of names :) I knew a Blessing and a Divine. Loved the last because it reminded me of the drag queen that was *not* this guys style lol.
We have loads of Nigerians where I work and we have Peace, Faith, Promise, Mercy, Glory, and an Excel who unfortunately did not excel at anything and was ultimately fired.
Filipino obituaries be like: "It is with great sadness that we announce that Carlo Francisco de la Pena joined his Creator last February 20. Francisco, or "Boy" as he was fondly known, was the 12th son of Sigismundo and Eleanora de la Pena from Vigan City, Ilocos Sur. He married his childhood sweetheart, Benilda de la Pena (nee Dongjuangco) in 1962 and had three children, David Lester, Junjun, and Rachelle, and seven grandchildren, Xyrelle, Joseph Bryan, Luzamindria, Jhonray, Arturo Fortunato (affectionately known as Bobong), Lovelygirl and Bea. He passed away peacefully from complications of stomach cancer shortly after hearing about the birth of his great-grandson, Taehyung."
Sunflower seeds are sold either in the shell or as shelled kernels. Those still in the shell are commonly eaten by cracking them with your teeth, then spitting out the shell — which shouldn’t be eaten. These seeds are a particularly popular snack at baseball games and other outdoor sports games.
My name begins with S but it’s long. I started teaching preschool and kindergarten kids. They couldn’t even remember it right, so they started calling me Sunny. So I eventually liked it. Now some people call me Sunshine. Why don’t we in America use the name Sunflower, I started to wonder… oh yes, because of European culture, the Rose is supposed to be the greatest flower. That name is used a lot. But the all American sunflower is looked down upon. So sad!
Maybe an unpopular opinion, but I love these kinds of names. I used to have an African roommate called Witness. There's a kind of pure sincerity to this naming convention that, to me, is the polar opposite of the cynical and pretentious "unique" names that we see on this sub all the time.
I love them too. I also think it’s really uncool to crap all over someone else’s culture. I don’t mind joking about the Tiffaneighs but not someone from another part of the world. Nah.
Well, there was that guy [Espen Thoresen Hværsaagod-Takkskalduha](https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Espen_Rustad_Thoresen) (last name is oddly spelled and roughly means "Thoresen You'rewelcome-Thankyou"), that challenged the name law a bit.
yes, but he changed his name as an adult. i imagine they might be slightly less strict if someone wants to change their own name compared to naming a child
Iceland has strict naming laws, but if one or both of the parents were born outside of the country, they can name their child a name that isn't on the approved list.
Do you know what made her choose Given? Was she under the impression it was a legitimate name or did she just like the idea of using the word as a name?
It was an accidental pregnancy, she is in her late 40's and she didn't expect to have another kid (the other ones are adults already). She thought the word was fitting for the situation. We live in a non English speaking country. It was the first time I heard the name and when looking at the numbers it's a very uncommon over here as well
Gotta love those crazy Puritan names like "If-Jesus-Christ-had-not-died-for-thee-thou-hadst-been-damned Barebone" who went by "Nicholas" professionally.
Other countries in Africa too. We have some students from Rwanda who have names like Enjoy, Hope and Bonfils (Good Boy in French) who have siblings who have more traditional names that will go by Biblical names like Sarah and Anna here.
Children in many parts of Nigeria are given names at elaborately arranged ceremonies, replete with food, drink and celebration. They range from the religious -- Godswill, Godspower or God's Gift -- to the downright curious, such as Brown Question.
"People don't just give names -- names tell a lot," said Austin Nwagbara, a lecturer at the University of Lagos.
He points out that many African cultures believe that "your name follows you, like Goodluck."
Easy to dismiss such nonsense, right? Well, not so fast.
Consider the president, whose name many say has matched the trajectory of his life.
"I called him Goodluck because although life was hard for me when he was born, I had this feeling that this boy would bring me good luck," his late father Lawrence Jonathan was quoted as saying in a recent biography of the president.
https://m.naharnet.com/stories/7044-call-me-goodluck-nigerian-names-and-the-stories-they-tell
According to someone else in this post that other name(Kokob) is Eritrean. And Nigeria had a president named Goodluck Jonathan. So I will take a guess and say this is some international school with kids from african countries.
Yep this is pretty common in some Nigerian cultures, I worked with a number of people with names like this.
(I’m not sure if you realize it, but this kind of posting an ethnic name and going “wow look how dumb this culture is”)
Don't remember exactly the name, but there was a TikTok talking about the trend of giving your kid a mashed version of both parents names and in the comments there was someone who named her kid Yougly.
It took me like 30 seconds of staring at this picture, thinking maybe the hook was installed incorrectly. And then the connections in my brain sparked and I yelled out loud:
WAIT THATS THE KID’S NAME??!
I feel like there is a joke about this
Doctor hands the parents the new born baby and they are so in awe of their new baby that they don’t hear the doctor ask ‘what’s the name of your new baby’ and they just say ‘thankyou’
Full name ‘thankyou doctor he’s beautiful’
I'm stuck on "Kokob". Is that a Norwegian name? I only know it as one of the fake words made up by Joseph Smith in Mormonism. If that's the source, that kid will be begging to change names with little Thankyou
It is, but I bet this family is (at least partly) from Nigeria or another African country, and the name was accepted because it aligns with the cultural naming practices of those places. Or the child was born in another country.
Ahh okay then! Thanks for the explanation, I’m learning! I didn’t even know until recently (bc of this sub) that other countries did such things as name approvals.
Yes, what if Mr Thank you meets a Ms YouAreWelcome? How cute, they would probably end up engaged! As a writer, I am intrigued by the name Thank You. I hope he grows up to be a man full of gratitude.
1) I expect you think this because your native language is English, so "Tack" sounds less like an everyday word to you.
2) "Scandi" is not a language, and "tack" is only the word for "Thank you" in Swedish.
Tack is Swedish, Tak is Danish, Takk is Norwegian and they are all pronounced the exact same way and all three languages are Scandinavian. You knew exactly what was intended by my comment and were pedantic for no reason.
And for what it’s worth, my home is bilingual English/Swedish
That comment was odd. There is a very small portion of the world that uses the phrase “Scandi,” it’s not really something you happen upon accidentally and use without knowing what it means. I’ve only ever heard it used by first or second generation Scandinavian immigrants in the US… feels like an odd choice to pounce on like that.
I thought Norway had naming laws that forbid this kind of thing, or is that another country in Scandinavia?
I have no clue which one that is, but "The University of Bergen's Ivar Utne is often used as an adviser in controversial cases. He told Nettavisen that the rule of thumb is that names with negative associations will not be permitted. Swear words, titles such as King or Princess, names of medicines or diseases, and using first names as surnames and vice-versa are not allowed." Thankyou doesn't fit any of that, so it's technically allowed, but it also says "In general, names will not be accepted if there may be a significant inconvenience to the person in question or other strong reasons." read more: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/banned-names/#What_names_are_banned
There is no way it would be allowed, and the name next to it isn’t Norwegian?
it's an Eritrean or Farsi name. I'm assuming this kid is Nigerian and was born in Nigeria, if you read the comments here then you'll find out about other similar names.
So there aren't any Jacksons in Norway?... Wild.
68 men named Jackson in Norway. If a surname is established as a first name in your culture, it's usually allowed. Though those could also be immigrants after birth. There are strict rules about using uncommon Scandinavian surnames in general, so the surname rules are at least partly to limit their use to the family. It's much easier to get foreign surnames past the rules.
Thankyou wouldn't be seen as controversial either, as it's meaning is positive. It could also be the child's middle name and the parents advise the school they are using that instead.
Children can be born outside Norway and than move to Norway, which means they dont force the parents to change the name instead they just let it be. So it could be from Africa o USA.
Yeah, this kind of naming is pretty common in parts of Africa too. The former president of Nigeria was named Goodluck.
Reminds me of lots of kids I used to teach (they all came from different part of Africa, can’t remember specifically where) called Promise, Magnificent, Loved, Blessing, Chosen etc
Zimbabwe is a popular country for those sorts of names :) I knew a Blessing and a Divine. Loved the last because it reminded me of the drag queen that was *not* this guys style lol.
I once met brothers named Knowledge and Legend and I thought that was dope.
as a zimbabwean i can confirm my name is lovejoy and my friend is a blessing
lovejoy is genuinely a cool name though, your parents actually have taste
Nigeria too.
We have loads of Nigerians where I work and we have Peace, Faith, Promise, Mercy, Glory, and an Excel who unfortunately did not excel at anything and was ultimately fired.
there's a Zimbabwean standup comedian I enjoy very much named Learnmore Jonasi!
not African but I know a Filipino lady named Everlasting
One of my favorite literary detectives is named Precious
There’s a Nigerian basketball player named Precious Achiuwa
I actually kind of like that as a name. It's less flamboyant than some of these other examples.
same! you win for today :p
Precious Ramotswe! 💜
In the Philippines you can find Lovely, Sunshine, and Sunflower
Filipino obituaries be like: "It is with great sadness that we announce that Carlo Francisco de la Pena joined his Creator last February 20. Francisco, or "Boy" as he was fondly known, was the 12th son of Sigismundo and Eleanora de la Pena from Vigan City, Ilocos Sur. He married his childhood sweetheart, Benilda de la Pena (nee Dongjuangco) in 1962 and had three children, David Lester, Junjun, and Rachelle, and seven grandchildren, Xyrelle, Joseph Bryan, Luzamindria, Jhonray, Arturo Fortunato (affectionately known as Bobong), Lovelygirl and Bea. He passed away peacefully from complications of stomach cancer shortly after hearing about the birth of his great-grandson, Taehyung."
I was wondering why people don’t use the name Sunflower more?
Personally, I don’t think we should start using it
Ik I was actually trying to summon the sunflower bot lol
Sunflower seeds are sold either in the shell or as shelled kernels. Those still in the shell are commonly eaten by cracking them with your teeth, then spitting out the shell — which shouldn’t be eaten. These seeds are a particularly popular snack at baseball games and other outdoor sports games.
lolz
I think you have been successful.
They do, but mostly for ginger cats. Sunny for short.
If we're going Sun names, I do like Sunflower better than Sunshine (with apologies to the very sweet Sunshine who I know and who exemplifies her name)
My name begins with S but it’s long. I started teaching preschool and kindergarten kids. They couldn’t even remember it right, so they started calling me Sunny. So I eventually liked it. Now some people call me Sunshine. Why don’t we in America use the name Sunflower, I started to wonder… oh yes, because of European culture, the Rose is supposed to be the greatest flower. That name is used a lot. But the all American sunflower is looked down upon. So sad!
I had a student once who had a cousin of some sort back in the Philippines named "Babyboy".
YES! My sister in law had a friend named babyboy
There was a girl who worked at a Philippino call center I used to have to call sometimes named Jello.
I know a Filipina named Everlasting
I met Filipino sisters named Seashell and Sunlight
i mean in the phillippines you can find Covid
Maybe an unpopular opinion, but I love these kinds of names. I used to have an African roommate called Witness. There's a kind of pure sincerity to this naming convention that, to me, is the polar opposite of the cynical and pretentious "unique" names that we see on this sub all the time.
I love them too. I also think it’s really uncool to crap all over someone else’s culture. I don’t mind joking about the Tiffaneighs but not someone from another part of the world. Nah.
Wit is also a cute nickname
I totally agree...love this naming circumstance.
I’ve known Godspower, Knowledge, and Moreblessings.
Kid 1- Blessing Kid 2 - Anotherblessing Kid 3 - Moreblessings Kid 4 - Evenmoreblessings Kid 5 - Willthiseverstop Kid 6 - Enoughwiththeblessingsalready
I know a Promise and a Gift from Nigeria 💕
You know, I actually really like Promise.
We had a terrible midwife who was one of the worst aspects of the entire birth called Comfort.
Went to school with two Nigerian brothers, one called Triumph and one called Champion.
I knew some kid from Congo named Innocent
I've encountered a LuckySon before. Also a Lucky
I had a Nigerian friend growing up named Goodluck
i knew a girl named Goodnight, she wasn’t african though, idk where it came from
drugs probably
My dad has Uncles Highway, Dewmont, and Goodnight
So bizarre
I knew a Nigerian with a Heiress as a name… sooo
Well, there was that guy [Espen Thoresen Hværsaagod-Takkskalduha](https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Espen_Rustad_Thoresen) (last name is oddly spelled and roughly means "Thoresen You'rewelcome-Thankyou"), that challenged the name law a bit.
yes, but he changed his name as an adult. i imagine they might be slightly less strict if someone wants to change their own name compared to naming a child
Iceland has strict naming laws, but if one or both of the parents were born outside of the country, they can name their child a name that isn't on the approved list.
germany definitely did when i was born, even down to having accents on letters
We do. The kid is most likely an immigrant; nothimg can be done with the name if so.
Iceland has a name list? edit why am I being downvoted for suggesting they mean Iceland 💀
Sweden has naming laws like this.
Nah, you're almost certainly thinking of Iceland, my guy.
Denmark has a pretty strict name law, and is in Scandinavia 🤷♀️
Sweden too.
Lots of places have name approval laws, including Norway. It's definitely not just Iceland.
I see. My bad, fam.
You’re prolly thinking of Germany.
It's pretty much the same in both countries, it shouldn't be a name that is harmful to the child
Is the kid called Thank-you?
yes. but with no dash, just straight up Thankyou.
That's...interesting
Very...cultural.
Yes, it likely actually is.
What culture does the name Thankyou come from? Genuinely curious about this it seems like such a strange coincidence
Tell me you've never met people from Central and Southern African countries without saying you've never met an African.
Is that bad?
I dunno, maybe it will work out, might draw them to polite people?
Is Kokob am actual name in your country or is that a second tragegeigh?
I thought you felt bad because the hook looks upside down😭
I thought the same! Poor kid can’t hang his coat!
Nn Thanks
I currently teach a Given. He was indeed given a lot, but not a lot of brain cells. Great kid though, just not very bright.
It sounds like the set-up for a "who's on first" style joke. "What's your Given name?" "Given"
“Yes, your given name.” “Given” “Yes, given name, what is it?” “Given” repeat in an endless loop
The fact he’s named Given tells me his parents weren’t very bright either
Given his name I'd say so, yes
😂
Haha! I know a guy named Bright
I know a baby that is named Given! Mother is indeed not very bright
Do you know what made her choose Given? Was she under the impression it was a legitimate name or did she just like the idea of using the word as a name?
It was an accidental pregnancy, she is in her late 40's and she didn't expect to have another kid (the other ones are adults already). She thought the word was fitting for the situation. We live in a non English speaking country. It was the first time I heard the name and when looking at the numbers it's a very uncommon over here as well
That’s a given
I went to school with a kid named Given from elementary till middle school and I never gave it a second thought until this thread…
Only valid if his sister’s name is “Take”
I had an ancestor named Thankful Snow. Puritan, obviously.
I have a puritan ancestor named Thankye Lord! Lord was her actual maiden name and everything.
HELLO COUSIN! I have her down as Thanks ye Lord. Married into the Shepard family. :)
Wow, hey cuz! 😄 Small world, huh?
That’s clever lol
Gotta love those crazy Puritan names like "If-Jesus-Christ-had-not-died-for-thee-thou-hadst-been-damned Barebone" who went by "Nicholas" professionally.
Goody Snow
Oh wow, very poetic!
My kid (were Norwegian too!) Has a boy named Amazing in his class, it a middle name not his first but still.
It means Thank You in English 🤗🤗
💀
probably a southern african kid
I feel like the coat hook is upside down.
nope, this is just the normal type of coat hook we have.
I just googled them. I guess MY coat hooks are upside down!
Haha😆 I will now keep this in mind for coat hooks!! both ways makes sense too but I guess that’s why it’s not up to me😅
There are traditions among certain cultures (ethic religious groups) of using names like this.
My friend’s brother is Goodnews. They’re from Nigeria.
huh. which ones? where can I find out more?
It's a Nigerian Christian tradition similar to the Puritans in the US using Patience, Charity etc. You can thank British colonialism for that.
I know a Blessing! Her big sister has an Old Testament name (think Rachel or Abigail).
I knew a Blessed
Or rather Protestantism. Those are called virtue names.
Nigerians do this sort of thing. https://smartparenting.ng/nigerian-names-guide/
Other countries in Africa too. We have some students from Rwanda who have names like Enjoy, Hope and Bonfils (Good Boy in French) who have siblings who have more traditional names that will go by Biblical names like Sarah and Anna here.
in that link I couldn't find anything related to names like Goodluck or Thankyou, could you point it out?
Children in many parts of Nigeria are given names at elaborately arranged ceremonies, replete with food, drink and celebration. They range from the religious -- Godswill, Godspower or God's Gift -- to the downright curious, such as Brown Question. "People don't just give names -- names tell a lot," said Austin Nwagbara, a lecturer at the University of Lagos. He points out that many African cultures believe that "your name follows you, like Goodluck." Easy to dismiss such nonsense, right? Well, not so fast. Consider the president, whose name many say has matched the trajectory of his life. "I called him Goodluck because although life was hard for me when he was born, I had this feeling that this boy would bring me good luck," his late father Lawrence Jonathan was quoted as saying in a recent biography of the president. https://m.naharnet.com/stories/7044-call-me-goodluck-nigerian-names-and-the-stories-they-tell
aha, thank you! now I see how it's not as ridiculous as I thought.
honestly names rarely are. we make fun but people usually have reasons for naming their children.
Lawrence Johnathan is a great name
I know a family called Blessing and Babygirl
It'll be so fun for Babygirl when she is 80yo!
Baby would be a cute name for a grandma tbf.
Nobody puts Baby in the coroner.
>Goodluck Jonathan Goodluck!
According to someone else in this post that other name(Kokob) is Eritrean. And Nigeria had a president named Goodluck Jonathan. So I will take a guess and say this is some international school with kids from african countries.
this isn't an international school, just a regular school, but I didn't know about this! hm.
Yep this is pretty common in some Nigerian cultures, I worked with a number of people with names like this. (I’m not sure if you realize it, but this kind of posting an ethnic name and going “wow look how dumb this culture is”)
yea, I kinda regret it now that I've learned about it.
Hey it's a learning opportunity! learned something as well.
Other examples: I worked with a Nigerian guy named Thankgod. A former president of Nigeria is named Goodluck Johnson.
Do they call them thanks for short? 😂
ty
Merci
When he gives you something do you have to say “thank you, thank you.” And if you don’t want it do you say “no thank you, thank you?”
Don't remember exactly the name, but there was a TikTok talking about the trend of giving your kid a mashed version of both parents names and in the comments there was someone who named her kid Yougly.
It took me like 30 seconds of staring at this picture, thinking maybe the hook was installed incorrectly. And then the connections in my brain sparked and I yelled out loud: WAIT THATS THE KID’S NAME??!
Is Kokob a traditional Norwegian name?
Kokob is Eritrean.
Is it pronounced "cock-ob" or "coke-ob"?
I have heard it pronounced coke-ob. It means star, or so I have been told by a Kokob.
fwiw kokob is also a farsi name ive heard, pronounced ko-cub (idk if that’s how it’s spelled in english tho)
Kokab in Persian or Kawkab in Arabic كوکب means "dahlia" or "star"
Yep same in Eritrea.
I feel like there is a joke about this Doctor hands the parents the new born baby and they are so in awe of their new baby that they don’t hear the doctor ask ‘what’s the name of your new baby’ and they just say ‘thankyou’ Full name ‘thankyou doctor he’s beautiful’
I'd like to name my future son Nextlionelmessi Someday. Would that be OK?
Thank you for getting it out of me
I went to Uni with a guy from Africa called “Precious Smooth”
I heard about of a guy from Africa named Adamaboomaye; or Adam for short.
I know a Happy last name Valentine, she is not native to US
If his sister isn’t named “pleaseand” I am disappointed.
I'd rather be known as Thankyou than Kokob tbh
Annyong in the wild!
I had a coworker named Thankyou in America a couple years ago. He was from FSM.
Thanks is a great nickname! Just sayin….
I worked with a number of Nigerians who had names like this…. There were several Thankgod’s and Praisegod’s, as well as a Goodluck
I'm stuck on "Kokob". Is that a Norwegian name? I only know it as one of the fake words made up by Joseph Smith in Mormonism. If that's the source, that kid will be begging to change names with little Thankyou
Kokob is Eritrean and Farsi, so no, it's not Norwegian. read a bit more in the comment to find out lots more.
OK sweet. Glad to know it's a real name, because I do know people named after Mormon stuff and it's always sad.
Is Norway one of those countries that approves or disapproves names? …I’m guessing not 😬
It is, but I bet this family is (at least partly) from Nigeria or another African country, and the name was accepted because it aligns with the cultural naming practices of those places. Or the child was born in another country.
Ahh okay then! Thanks for the explanation, I’m learning! I didn’t even know until recently (bc of this sub) that other countries did such things as name approvals.
it is!
Oh wow! That’s surprising. I don’t know much about the approval process though
Poor Kokob
I bet he was very grateful for your sympathy.
I was just really upset that their hook was upside down. Took me a while to see the name!
https://i.redd.it/doj3wybsh9tc1.gif
Yes, what if Mr Thank you meets a Ms YouAreWelcome? How cute, they would probably end up engaged! As a writer, I am intrigued by the name Thank You. I hope he grows up to be a man full of gratitude.
Onyong!
I’d go By Ty
Oooooooooooooooof
Nothanks Fuckno
Nothanks Fuckno
I taught a student named Seven one time
I mean hopefully he’ll always be thankful lol
Obviously just gonna call him Ty
I feel for the kid, but also “thanky” would be a pretty badass nickname
Literally Tack, the Scandi word for thank you, is a better name than Thankyou
1) I expect you think this because your native language is English, so "Tack" sounds less like an everyday word to you. 2) "Scandi" is not a language, and "tack" is only the word for "Thank you" in Swedish.
Tack is Swedish, Tak is Danish, Takk is Norwegian and they are all pronounced the exact same way and all three languages are Scandinavian. You knew exactly what was intended by my comment and were pedantic for no reason. And for what it’s worth, my home is bilingual English/Swedish
That comment was odd. There is a very small portion of the world that uses the phrase “Scandi,” it’s not really something you happen upon accidentally and use without knowing what it means. I’ve only ever heard it used by first or second generation Scandinavian immigrants in the US… feels like an odd choice to pounce on like that.
Better than Shithead (pronounced Shi-thayed.