In many countries, unusual names for children are becoming more popular, especially when more and more stars give their children special names. In Britain, you can call a child almost anything you like except dirty words. Some parents choose names which come from popular culture. Because of the film the Lord of the Rings , six boys were named Gandalf. Names about sport are very common, too. Since 1984, 36 children have been called Arsenal after the football team. Other parents like to make up names, or combine  two names to make a special one. A mother in Britain invented the name Tiaamii for her daughter. She combined the names Thea and Amy (the two grandmothers). In China, there are some rules about names --- you can't use foreign letters or symbols  in a Chinese name. For example, parents are not allowed to name their baby @. In New Zealand, a name beginning with a number is not allowed. Other countries have stricter rules about calling children. For example, Japan, Denmark, Spain, Germany and Argentina have a list of names. Parents must choose the names in the lists for their children. In Britain, some old-fashioned  names have become popular again, such as Maisie or Ella for a girl, and Alfie or Noah for a boy. But the most popular names are not the strange ones. The top names are very traditional--Jack and Thomas for boys, or Grace and Jessica f6r girls. ,,. (5,2,l0) In  _  , people must name their children according to the list.
Japan Britain America China