A Judge Tells A Mother She Can’t Name Her Kids These Names, Says They Are Illegal

A judge, Justice Eleanor King, told a mother from Powys, Wales, that she can’t give her newborn twins the names she chose.

The mother attempted to name her twins “Cyanide” and “Preacher.” She said she believed “Cyanide” was a pretty name for a little girl with positive implications since it’s the poison that killed both Hitler and his follower Joseph Goebbels. She also argued that she had the right to name her own children whatever she wanted.

While Justice King acknowledged that “Preacher” wasn’t as bad of a name as Cyanide, he ruled that the name ‘Cyanide’ could cause emotional harm to the child in future.
King said:

“It is hard to see how…the twin girl could regard being named after this deadly poison as other than a complete rejection of her by her birth mother.”

The twins, who are now 8 months old, were reportedly conceived of rape. They were placed in foster care, along with their three half-siblings, due to the mother’s history of mental illness and drug and alcohol abuse.
Social workers from Powys County Council took the case to the British Appeal Court. An injunction had previously been issued to prevent the mother from formally registering the names.
Justice King said:

“This is one of those rare cases where the court should intervene to protect the girl twin from emotional harm,” said King.

Justice King ruled that the children would not be named Cyanide and Preacher, she decided it was in the best interest of the twins to be renamed by their half-siblings and not their mother.