Credit: Family Handout & Adobe Stock
Little Girl Denied Passport Over ‘Trademarked’ Name: ‘Absolutely Devastated’
A mom was left ‘devastated’ after her six-year-old daughter’s passport application was rejected because of her name.
When it comes to unusual names, it feels like we’ve heard just about everything, especially as more celebrities opt for unique choices.
Yet what’s more uncommon is for them to be trademarked, so one mom got the shock of her life after applying for a passport for her little girl.
Lucy, from Wiltshire in the UK, saved for over two years and often worked 50-hour weeks to take her little girl to Disneyland Paris – truly the trip of a lifetime.
Yet a letter from the Passport Office would shatter plans for the family’s ‘dream’ vacation, as there was an issue with the six-year-old’s passport application.
The issue in question? Well, it was all to do with the young girl’s unusual name.
Reaction to the little girl’s ‘trademarked’ name
After hearing the unique name and the story to go with it, many people took to social media to express their disbelief.
One person said: “I’m shocked it was an issue in the first place considering the birth register accepted it years before.”
Another added: “How ridiculous.”
“Out of all the names these days, this one is rejected?” questioned a third.
‘Her name is trademarked by Warner Brothers’
Officials originally told Lucy they couldn’t issue her daughter a passport unless Warner Brothers gave permission, as it owned the name’s trademark.
In an interview with the BBC, the mom said she felt ‘frustrated’ by the situation as they had been ‘so looking forward’ to their first vacation together.
She said: “I was absolutely devastated, we were so looking forward to our first holiday together.
“I had a letter come through from the Passport Office, which said her name is trademarked by Warner Brothers.
“It was the first I’ve heard of such a thing – I was astonished.”
She added: “I never thought you could trademark a name.”
The mom’s solicitor noted that while there is a trademark, it was for goods and services only – not for a person’s name.
The mom doesn’t believe that this was the primary reason the situation was resolved.
Lucy told the BBC: “If I hadn’t posted this on social media, nothing would have been done.
“I would have been stuck, not knowing what to do.
“People contacted me about similar experiences.”
What is the little girl’s unique name?
You see, the mom’s daughter is named Khaleesi, which if you aren’t familiar with the Game of Thrones franchise is the name of Daenerys Targaryen, who often introduces herself as Khaleesi.
According to The Bump, Khaleesi is a feminine title meaning ‘queen’ in Dothraki, a fictional language created by ‘GOT’ author George R. R. Martin.
Since 2014, the name Khaleesi has steadily grown in popularity.
In 2017, the year Lucy’s daughter was born, 76 girls were given the name from the hit HBO show.
Was the situation resolved?
The Passport Office reportedly called the mom and apologized for the error.
The situation was put down to a misunderstanding, with the advice the staff had relayed only applying to people changing their names.
Although the matter was eventually resolved, Lucy told The Independent that vacation prices had increased.
She said: “We may not be able to go to Disney now because of the delay, the prices have gone up by £800. I have been working for six days a week to pay for the holiday and now it looks like we won’t be able to go.”
Determined to take her little girl away, Lucy set up a GoFundMe page, for which the description read: “Now I am asking for help to get us this holiday as since the delay in all of this the price of the holiday has gone from £1800 to £3200 for the cheapest hotel.”
Related Article: Woman Names Her Daughter After A Disney Character: ‘I Don’t Care If People Hate It’
Related Article: ‘People Call My Baby’s Name An Abomination – It’s Illegal In Some Countries But I Love It’
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