Japan introduces rules to put outlandish baby names to bed

The change is designed to halt the use of kirakira (shiny or glittery) names that have proliferated among parents hoping to add a creative flourish

Parents in Japan will no longer have free rein over the names they give their children, after the introduction this week of new rules on the pronunciation of kanji characters.

The change is designed to halt the use of kirakira (shiny or glittery) names that have proliferated among parents hoping to add a creative flourish to their children’s names – creating administrative headaches for local authorities and, in some cases, inviting derision from classmates.

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Guests at a Kerala wedding included Marx and Lenin. Guess the groom’s name?

Newlywed Engels was also joined by Ho Chi Minh at southern India ceremony highlighting popularity of communist names

Marx, Lenin and Ho Chi Minh gathered in southern India at the weekend to watch Engels tie the knot.

But there wasn’t a German, Russian or Vietnamese in sight as members of the local Communist party in Kerala state attended the wedding at a boutique tourist destination.

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Liam goes supersonic as it rises up baby name charts around world

Moniker has spread far beyond its Irish origins – but risks suffering the same fate as Kevin

Liam is set to become the new Kevin, researchers predict, as the mellifluous moniker graduates from its Irish origins and rises up baby name charts around the world.

Fewer Liams were born in the Republic of Ireland last year (334) than in Germany (an estimated 3,800), Spain (962), Sweden (760), Belgium (575) and Switzerland (443). For American baby boys, the short form of Uilliam or William has been the most popular choice for three years running, with 20,502 boys named Liam born in the US in 2019 alone.

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