Source: TheStar.com
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WELLINGTON, New Zealand – A family court judge in New Zealand has had enough with parents giving their children bizarre names and did something about it. Just ask Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii. He had her renamed.

In a ruling made public Thursday, judge Rob Murfitt made the 9-year-old girl a ward of the court so that her name could be changed.
He said the girl was involved in a custody battle. The new name was not made public to protect the girl’s privacy.

“The court is profoundly concerned about the very poor judgment which this child’s parents have shown in choosing this name,” he wrote. “It makes a fool of the child and sets her up with a social disability and handicap, unnecessarily.”

The girl had been so embarrassed at the name that she had never told her closest friends what it was. She told people to call her “K” instead, the girl’s lawyer, Colleen MacLeod, told the court.

In his ruling, Murfitt cited a list of other unfortunate names.

Registration officials blocked some names, including Fish and Chips, Yeah Detroit, Keenan Got Lucy and Sex Fruit, he said. But others were allowed, including Number 16 Bus Shelter “and tragically, Violence,” he said.

New Zealand law does not allow names that would cause offense to a reasonable person, among other conditions, said Brian Clarke, the registrar general of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

Clarke said officials usually talked to parents who proposed unusual names to convince them about the potential for embarrassment.

So, if a judge actually sees the potential for a lifetime of embarrassment and harassment in naming a child an outlandish name, I don’t think it makes my opinion of NOT naming a child Peanut out of the ordinary.

When I was pregnant with my second son, my oldest wanted “desperatley” to name the new little one “Yellow” (since, at the time that was his fav. color)and he repeadetly would tell ppl. that that was going to be his new brother’s name. Of course, my husband and I thought that this was quite endearing and cute coming from a little guy of two.

Sometimes common sense has to rule the day and I’m sorry to have a bona fid name of PEANUT on one’s birth certificate is not “cute”, “sensible”, “original”, “joyful”,”happiness”, etc… It is C-R-U-E-L! As parents’ we have the RIGHT to name our children Anything we want, but seriously, some of these “celebs” absolutely cross the line into bizzaro lala land.

And for those of you who are saying it is “alright” to name a child something as wacky as “Peanut”, I would LOVE to hear what some of your own children are named, my bet is that they are very nice, strong, normal, non-bizzaro names. Just my 2-cents on this subject…

Personally, I like the name. It’s unique just like Ingo is. I think we tend to forget people just like you and me give their kids unique names every day. This just happens to be in the public eye. P. Kai Rademacher has a nice ring to it!

I’m not a huge fan of the name Peanut, either, but to each their own. I hope he starts going by Kai early on!

Anyway, if he wants to change his name completely it is typically pretty easy. I did it a few years ago. It cost me $50 max in court fees and that was it. You don’t need an attorney in the majority of states.

I think it’s just ridiculous putting a child through his life with the name Peanut, poor thing. If his parents do have an ounce of decency and respect for their son, they would change his name to just Kai or whatever and refer to him as Peanut as a nickname.
I would never EVER do that to my son, you can give your child an unusual name but know where to draw the line before it gets out of hand….

Speaking as a person who got a rather off the wall name, it’s not always fun.
To make your child LEGAL name something so ridiculous is just thoughtless.

Yes peanut is cute when you’re a baby and a toddler, it’s what I called my son when he was little..However, as a grown man he will have to introduce himself as PEANUT.
Why on earth, would you give your child a name they will have to live down the rest of their life? Or worse will have to LEGALLY change so people don’t think he’s a cocker spaniel.

I read this post to a friend. She said “Peanut Rademacher? Sounds like the name of an old town drunk.” I think that is the funniest comment yet. Good ol’ Peanut. Good luck, kid. He’s always got Kai to fall back on…