Lassie trumps Lasse as girl’s name

Sweden's tax board has barred a family in Västervik from giving their daughter the middle name Lasse. Caroline Karlsson was instead authorized to give her six-month old daughter Nellie the 'mellannamn' Lassie.

Published: 14 December 2007 08:32 CET

According to the board, Lasse is a man’s name and could “cause offence” if used for a girl. Karlsson tried to point out that the name would not come up in the girl’s everyday life but to no avail.

“My father died three years ago and I promised him that if I had a boy I would call him Lasse. When we had a girl I still wanted her to have that name,” she told Metro.

Grudgingly, the family accepted the decision and sent in a new application for the name Lassie, which the board approved.