Cuba to Require Shorter Names
The Cuban government has ordered, effective Jan. 1, that babies be given short, easily pronounced names, Havana radio said Tuesday in a broadcast monitored here.
The law specifies that no one may be registered with more than two names, and it bans “names of animals or objects that could create problems for children when they grow up because they could feel shame or inconvenience.”
An announcer cited an example of twin girls she knows named Biela and Propela, which in English mean “connecting rod” and “propeller.”
Many Cubans have several names, honoring relatives, patron saints or historical figures.
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