A fresh new batch of names have been officially approved to enter the Icelandic lexicon.
As many Grapevine readers know, in Iceland there is a Name Committee, which approves or rejects new names submitted to be allowed for the legal naming of a child. The potential for a name’s approval rests upon historical precedent for the name, and the ability to decline it in accordance with Icelandic grammar. RÚV reports that a new crop of names have been approved and rejected.
In women’s names, Ramóna, Gísela, Gíta, Alína and Kæja have been approved. In men’s names, however, things got a little more complicated.
The name Baltazar was rejected, on the grounds that the Icelandic alphabet no longer uses the letter z, which fell out of favour some decades ago. Pedro was rejected on the grounds that there is no Icelandic name which ends with an o. However, Pedró was approved, as it can be declined in Icelandic grammar. The name Jerry was rejected outright, as there is no one in Iceland with this name, and it cannot be declined grammatically.
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