They’ll Call Her Marie for Short

The high court in this Atlantic coastal town has allowed parents to name a child in triplicate, clearing the way for a girl to keep her name: Marie Marie Marie.

The court reversed a lower court ruling that disallowed Marie Marie Marie’s name in civil records. The objection given was that a name in triplicate does not enrich the French heritage.

France once went to great efforts to control the names of its citizens. The practice has declined, but officials still try to guard against zany names.

In a recent interview with a local newspaper, Marie Marie Marie’s father explained why he chose the name: She weighed 3.33 kilos when born in August, her head and chest measured 33 centimeters and she was 51 centimeters long, a multiple of three.

He said the baby’s mother was 33 years old and that when the child was born she was “ gironde “--plump. The connection? The license plate prefix for France’s Gironde region is 33.

The family asked to remain anonymous.