Casualty Auction now on.

Swedes like to believe that they believe everybody is equal. No matter how useless someone is they should in theory be treated the same. Boasting or being big headed is a big no no. So recently when a couple from Gothenburg tried to name their child Superman (Stålman) the nanny state stepped in. Authorities determined the name could lead to discomfort. Swedish law doesn't allow names which could cause a child problems as they grow up. The couple took the case to court claiming it was a name that suggested strength and manliness but lost.

It reminded me of my schooldays when another lad had the unfortunately surname of Pratt. Maybe if he had been born in Sweden the authorities would have put a stop to his parents choosing the name Alistair for him. I’m not sure if he had a middle name he could add to his signature, or if he is now going through life signing himself as A Pratt.

Mind you, according to Sweden's statistics bureau, names of comic book characters aren't entirely unusual in Sweden. There are four men using the name Fantomen (The Phantom), though not as their spoken name. 22 men have Tarzan as a name, 7 of which use it as their spoken name. There are also 5 women named Snövit (Snow White) and one named Törnrosa (Sleeping Beauty).