The judge sided with the boy’s mum over her choice of name for her son (Picture: Getty Images)
A High Court judge has blocked a council’s bid to change the name of a boy called Mia despite fears he will be teased.
The boy who is approaching his first birthday is in council care and Mr Justice Cobb heard his mum had registered his first name as Mia.
The judge ruled against the council’s decision after considering arguments at a private hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in Leeds.
The boy has not been identified in media reports of the case and the council involved has not been named.
Lawyers for the council argued the boy was ‘likely to suffer significant emotional harm’ as a result been given a name ‘that is predominantly considered to be a female name’.
The boy’s dad was against the name Mia, but his mum wanted her ‘choice of name’ to remain ‘undisturbed’.
‘Tradition is not the same as it used to be, and Mia can be whoever or whatever he wants to be,’ she told the judge.
‘I want this name to remain his registered name.’
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‘It is submitted on behalf of the local authority that such a name may attract ridicule or teasing and by consequence is capable of having a negative impact on his self-esteem as he grows up,’ said the judge.
‘The local authority wishes the court’s permission to change his forename.’
He added: ‘I … find myself unpersuaded that there are reasonable grounds for believing that (the boy) will suffer significant emotional harm in the school and community in which he will live simply by having the forename of Mia.’
The judge said a ‘vast range of forenames’ were used in ‘today’s multi-cultural and diverse society’.
‘Popular culture continues to influence parents’ baby name choices year by year,’ he said.
‘There are many forenames in common currency now which would not have been thought of five or 10 or so years ago.’
The judge went on: ‘I accept the mother’s argument, that ‘tradition is not the same as it used to be…”‘
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The boy’s mum registered his name.