I frequently bemoan the fact that my mom gave me a name that is both incredibly common for my age group, as well as (apparently) impossible to spell. As of this moment, however, I will cease complaining and be grateful that she did not name me Adolf Hitler.
Little Adolf Hitler Campbell ran into trouble last week when a grocery store in his native Pennsylvania refused to print “Happy Birthday Adolf Hitler!” on a cake for his third birthday. His sister JoyceLynn Aryan Nation Campbell will likely face similar disappointment on her birthday.
His dad said he chose the name because he liked it and “no one else in the world would have the name.”
Well, almost no one. I hope little Adolf doesn’t discover Google and Wikipedia too quickly, or he may quickly be petitioning the court to allow him to change his name, as did a nine-year-old girl from New Zealand whose parents gave her the unfortunate name, Talula Does the Hula from Hawaii.
Both are considerably worse than Melissa Wilson.
However, I’m almost inclined to side with the Campbells on this one. Adolf Hitler is, after all, only a name, and it contains no profanity (though requesting a swastika on the cake is certainly crossing a line).
What do you think?
Are all the Jessicas and Jennifers of my generation thanking their lucky stars right now?