Brazilian court bans couple’s historical baby name over bullying fears: ‘Future embarrassment’

A couple wanting to name their baby after an ancient king had the name rejected by a Brazilian court over fears their son would be bullied.

Catarina and Danillo Prímola, from the city of Belo Horizonte, wanted to name their newborn son Piyé after the first black Egyptian pharaoh, who laid the foundations for the 25th dynasty.

However the Court of Justice in the state of Minas Gerais initially sided with a registry office and rejected the name, stating it cannot “register first names that could expose their bearers to ridicule”.

In the ruling, the court noted the name was too similar to the word ‘plié’ – a type of ballet step.

Piyé is spelled differently in Portuguese, reading ‘Piié’ on paper.

“That is why the sound and spelling of the name were preponderant for the rejection,” the Minas Gerais Court of Justice said, as per the Daily Mail.

“They would be capable of causing future embarrassment to the child.”

The couple landed on the name for their first born, who they welcomed in August, after hearing it while choreographing a dance for the 2023 Carnival in Rio de Janeiro.

“We went to research what it was like and we found the story of Piiê, who was a Nubian warrior who fought and conquered Egypt and became the first black pharaoh,” Prímola said, as per the Daily Mail.

“Recovering African names is a powerful way to give a new narrative to the history of black people.”

“We have the right to educate our children with this strength, this culture and in a way that they have representation in their name.”

The couple appeared before the court to explain the significance behind the name, before the judge eventually reversed the decision.

Prímola said bullying “cannot be combated by prohibiting it, nor can it be combated by oppression”.

“Bullying can be combated by studying and working on the ignorance of society as a whole.”

While the baby is allowed to be named Piyé on his birth certificate, the legal process came at a cost – delaying him from receiving his required vaccines and attending a screening to detect rare health conditions.