In a bizarre yet funny incident, a 36-year-old woman from London has been facing problems with her unique name! The North London native’s one-of-a-kind name, L.A. Cartier, matches with America’s popular place, Los Angeles or L.A. for abbreviation. Thanks to her mother, who created it by combining the initials of her family’s surnames, it has led to several instances of confusion over the years.
Cartier often has to prove during legal documentation that her name isn’t fake. “People often think I’m withholding my real name,” she explained. “When they ask how I spell it, they assume it’s ‘Ellay,’ and I have to correct them: ‘No, it’s just L dot A dot.'” she added.
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As per the outlet, Tyla, the singer and songwriter, shared her struggles and said, people think I don’t want to give them my real name. However, while her mother named her, there wasn’t any issue in the beginning until shortly after her birth, when a law was introduced that banned full stops in names.
Cartier further stated on TikTok that things became more difficult for her when she requested a copy of her birth certificate, only to receive one that listed her name as ‘La,’ a clear error compared to the original ‘L.A.’ Alas, despite several attempts, The General Register Office (GRO) has refused to make alterations until her name gets changed for good. Yet, that is not possible due to the ban on the full stop (aka period).
“They’re telling me I need to go to deed poll to change it to L.A., but I can’t change it as the law states you’re no longer allowed full stops now.” So it’s just been left at that for now,” she said as per the outlet.
The British woman added in frustration that she’s also tired of correcting people mispronouncing her name, receiving weird remarks and being confused during online verifications and ID Checks. Her story has made others aware on social media about the struggles of having an uncommon name.
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Furthermore, as per the Freedom Forum, in America, names can carry important personal, cultural, and legal meanings that can be related to several elements of a person’s life. While there’s no one law to ban names or anything of that kind, certain names can be restricted by local and state authorities for practical reasons, such as avoiding confusion in public records or ensuring names don’t cause unnecessary harm.
For instance, names with too many numbers, such as those containing Roman alphabets like (III) have been rejected by the court. Likewise, sexually offensive names like Misteri” (a racial slur) have also been rejected for public use. Moreover, The First Amendment’s protections have come into light in certain name change cases.
In Tennessee, a judge ordered parents to change their child’s name from “Messiah” due to its religious connotation. Still, the decision was dismissed as an unconstitutional infringement on religious freedom, which is again an important part of the law. Several other names can also be rejected to save a child from being shamed or to avoid legal issues.
Similarly, an Ohio judge rejected a man’s name-change request for Santa Robert Claus, as the public has a right to Santa’s identity beyond one person. However, another state reportedly approved the name.
While nicknames and short abbreviations don’t fall under these restrictions, official names should definitely follow specific standards to ensure clarity and avoid silly issues in official documentation and society.
