This is practiced in a certain way in Norway too. The rules comes from a day and age when parents in the more primitive parts of the nation had an unfortunate habit of naming their children after their favourite furniture. It sounds hilarious but was actually a major problem up until the law was implemented in the early/mid 70s. Parents simply didn't think of the consequences of naming their children Refridgerathor, Coffeelise or Portalouis. (to use some relevant English variants) Yes, it was that bad. Especially in the north of the country where the arrival of modern household appliances came late. I went to school with kids who had names too ridiculous for Monty Python, who couldn't wait to reach 18 so they could legally change them. The stuff they went through during childhood doesn't bear thinking about.
The laws are easing up. Some 14 days ago the Swedish court allowed a nutcase couple the right to name their baby girl Metallica, while here in Norway another couple wants to name their kid Jihad.
Now there's a name to carry around in your passport for the rest of your life... If parents can't use common sense, someone simply has to do it for them.
