Immigration to Spain from Latin America is huge these days, with many people choosing to emigrate to the Iberian peninsula instead of the U.S. since Spain makes it a lot easier. But one thing some courts are not making easy is naming your baby what you want to name it:

Lina and Newar came from Colombia 5 years ago with their son, Steven 11. They settled in Las Rozas [Madrid] and afterward had two more children: Malcolm, who is now 4, and Beliza, an 8 month-old girl.

The problem, Lina explains, “came about when we went to sign the papers confirming Beliza’s Spanish citizenship. In the Civil Registry they told us that we had to change the child’s name because it didn’t exist and didn’t go with either sex.“

Lina explained to them that the name was her husband’s grandmother’s name and she “offered to show proof, but they insisted that here the documentation wasn’t valid.” They then told her that she should petition a name change for the little girl.

According to 20 Minutos, there is a law in place that states that a judge must approve the name of a baby to ensure that it isn’t offensive to the child — basically so people can’t go around naming their children Hitler or Satan. But Beliza? What’s the problem there?

Lina and Newar have presented a document to the court arguing their case for keeping Beliza’s name. “Then they told me that the problem was with the Z, and I responded that the Princess [of Spain] is named Letizia“.

Apparently, the same judge also denied Lina’s husband’s boss’ petition for his residence papers until he changed his name from José Albeiro to José Alberto. Not to be a conspiracy freak, but xenophobia maybe?

The most curious thing about all this is that the name Beliza — or Belisa — comes directly from Spanish literature; first used by Lope de Vega and later by García Lorca.

Related: Prohibido llamarse Julieta

Via / 20 Minutos

Image Jorge Paris via 20 Minutos