‘Surf,’ ‘Low Tide’ and ‘Glaciers’ Get Green Light

The Icelandic Naming Committee recently approved several new names, Morgunblaðið reports.

Some refer to nature, such as the names Sólmáni and Jöklar for boys, meaning ‘Sun Moon’ and ‘Glaciers;’ and the names Brim and Fjara for girls, meaning ‘Surf’ and ‘Low Tide.’

Other names recently approved by the committee are the names Issa, Chris, Bæssam, Rósmar and Lúgó for boys; and the names Lóley, Haffý and Viola for girls.

The committee gave permission for the son of a man named Yuriys to be listed in the National Registry by the last name Georgsson, in an effort to adjust his name to the Icelandic language.

The committed was asked a second time to approve the name Regin for a boy, which it did. Three men listed in the National Registry already carry that name. Likewise, the committee was asked to approve the girl name Moon, which it had previously rejected. This time, Moon was approved as a first name.

According to law 45/1996, “A person’s given name must be able to take on an Icelandic genitive [(possessive form)] and have acquired a tradition in the Icelandic language. The name must not violate the Icelandic language structure. It shall be written according to general Icelandic spelling rules, unless there is tradition for spelling it otherwise.”

Finally, “A given name must not be such that it causes the bearer nuisance,” the law states.