Jón Gnarr, former mayor of Reykjavík, has been denied a name change by the Icelandic Naming Committee yet again, despite recently having been granted a name change in the US, where he currently resides.
Read more: Comedian Jón Gnarr granted a name-change in the United States
According to the National Broadcasting Service, the comedian had anticipated that he’d be able to register as Jón Gnarr, rather than Jón Gunnar, upon returning to Iceland. However, Iceland’s strict naming laws state that names established by tradition solely as men’s or women’s forenames, such as Gunnar, may not be used as family names.
Read more: Fear that the Nordic tradition of patronymic surnames will die out should naming laws be changed
“They’d rather see me dead than let me legally change my name to Gnarr. Fine,” Jón tweeted during the weekend. He told the National Broadcasting Service that because he’s an Icelandic citizen, Icelandic naming laws will continue to apply to him. “But I’ll never give up. This is my fight for justice.”
Jón Gnarr, former mayor of Reykjavík, has been denied a name change by the Icelandic Naming Committee yet again, despite recently having been granted a name change in the US, where he currently resides.
Read more: Comedian Jón Gnarr granted a name-change in the United States
According to the National Broadcasting Service, the comedian had anticipated that he’d be able to register as Jón Gnarr, rather than Jón Gunnar, upon returning to Iceland. However, Iceland’s strict naming laws state that names established by tradition solely as men’s or women’s forenames, such as Gunnar, may not be used as family names.
Read more: Fear that the Nordic tradition of patronymic surnames will die out should naming laws be changed
“They’d rather see me dead than let me legally change my name to Gnarr. Fine,” Jón tweeted during the weekend. He told the National Broadcasting Service that because he’s an Icelandic citizen, Icelandic naming laws will continue to apply to him. “But I’ll never give up. This is my fight for justice.”
