Editorial: Set kids up for a good start

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Imagine being called Anal, 3rd, Lucifer or 4real.

Eleven Kiwi babies have narrowly escaped being called these awful names.

And it's not just a handful of terrible names that have been outlawed.

It has been reported recently that Internal Affairs has declined 494 name requests since legislation was introduced in 1995.

You'd like to think parents would have enough sense to choose sensible names for their children.

It's a parent's job to look out for their children and set them on the right course for life, and giving them a ridiculous name is not a good start.

Imagine the mockery you would get, not just at school but for the rest of your life, if your name was 3rd or 4real - or the number of times you would have to repeat or spell out your name.

The name rejected the most times was Justice - a total of 77.

That's bad enough but bizarre spellings of the same name have also been rejected - Justus and Justyce. In my opinion, that's even worse.

When naming your child, stick to the normal spelling of names or words.

Think about how many times a child will have to spell out their name or correct someone.

Make it easy for them. Children have enough to deal with these days let alone a bizarre name.

I have no problem with slightly unusual names but there is a clear line between unique and stupid.

What were the parents thinking when they chose a name like Anal for their child?

We shouldn't have to rely on a government department to step in and outlaw names that are too bizarre or just plain offensive, but thank goodness Internal Affairs has done that.

Come on, Kiwis. Think through the ramifications of giving your child a weird name.

Set your kids up for a good start in life.