An Italian couple have been ordered to change their son's name on the ground that he would otherwise bear the stigma of “Man Friday”, the native servant in Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe.

Mara and Robert Germano were taken to court after a clerk at the registry of births, deaths and marriages saw that they had registered the name of their son, now 15 months, as Venerdì (Friday). Italian registrars can reject names that they consider “ridiculous or shameful” and likely to inhibit a child's development of “serene interpersonal relationships” by making him or her the butt of jokes or abuse.

Although no objection had been raised at the time, the Appeal Court in Genoa ordered the parents to call the boy Gregorio instead, after the saint on whose feast day he was born. The couple, who run a bar in the Genoa seaside suburb of Nervi, claimed that they were being “victimised”, and that they would be allowed to call their child what they liked “if our surname was Agnelli or Totti” — a reference to the Agnelli dynasty, which owns the Fiat empire, and the AS Roma and Italy football star Francesco Totti. In the manner of footballers and pop stars, Totti and his wife have named their daughter Chanel.

The judges said in their ruling that the name Friday would “immediately be linked to Robinson Crusoe, in which Man Friday was “a figure characterised by his role of subjection and inferiority”. In Defoe's 1719 novel, the island castaway Crusoe thinks that he is the only inhabitant until he finds the footprint of a native. He saves the man from marauding cannibals and adopts him as his manservant, calling him Friday, after the day of the week when — according to Crusoe's calculations — the rescue took place. Crusoe teaches Friday English and converts him to Christianity.

The judges said that the name suggested a “wild savage” who strived in vain to attain the status of a “civilised man”. Friday was also a day associated in the Christian calendar with sorrow and penitence — as in Good Friday — and in superstition with ill luck, with Friday 17 being a day of ill omen in Italy as Friday 13 is in Britain. The court said that a first name should avoid “the unusual, the strange, the bizarre and the ridiculous”.

Paolo Rossi, the Germanos' lawyer, said that the case should never have gone to court. Other days of the week were used as names, such as Domenico (“domenica” being Sunday) and Sabato (Saturday), he said. Some names referred to the order in which children were born, such as Secondo (Second) or Ultimo (Last). There were also “exaggerated” Catholic names for girls such as Genuflessa (one who kneels) and Addolorata (sorrowful).

Mr Rossi said that the Germanos' son had been christened Friday without problems, even though Italian priests usually insist on traditional Christian names.

Mrs Germano said that they had chosen Venerdì simply “because we liked the sound of it”, and would continue to call the boy by that name even though, when he grows up, he will have to sign himself Gregorio.

Massimo Bacigalupo, Professor of Literature at Genoa University, said that the judges were being oversensitive in associating a name with a fictional character. “I am not sure how many people read 18th-century novels,” he told La Repubblica.

What's in a name?

Bluebell Madonna Daughter of the Spice Girl Geri Halliwell

Kal-El Coppola Nicholas Cage's son (Kal-El is the birth name of the character Superman)

Rogue Son of the director Robert Rodriguez and brother of Racer, Rebel and Rocket

Shiloh Nouvel Biological daughter of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. She has three adopted siblings

Jermajesty Jermaine Jackson's son with his one-time sister-in-law Alejandra Genevieve Oaziaza

Moxie CrimeFighter Daughter of Penn Jillette, half of the magical double act Penn and Teller, a sister to Zolten

Dweezil and Moon Unit Son and daughter of Frank Zappa. Both have followed him into the music business

Source: Times archives

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