What’s in a Name

TO THE EDITOR:

Re “An Unusual Name Can Be a Burden. In Japan, Parents Are Being Reined In” (news article, Dec. 3):

This article discussed how Japan is trying to limit the prevalence of unusual baby names. There is good reason to do so. As a psychiatrist, I have met many patients who found that having an unusual name was a real social impediment throughout their lives.

Iceland has a good solution to this problem: It gives all parents six months to choose their baby’s name. This allows them time to consider the consequences of choosing a name that could later make their child an object of ridicule or pity. It also results in many colorful ways to refer to a newborn (some of which are a bit salty), since the child may be officially nameless for the first six months. (Icelandic law actually forbids names that may cause embarrassment.)

HARVEY M. BERMAN

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.