In 1931, a couple in Hilden, Germany, tried to name their baby girl Hitlerike in honor of Adolf Hitler. (The German diminutive suffix “-ike” is pronounced ee-keh.)
The registrar rejected the name.
The father sued.
The court — noting that similar political names like Bolshewika (for Bolshevik) and Stahlhelmina (for veterans’ association Der Stahlhelm, “The Steel Helmets”) had been accepted as girl names in the past — ruled in favor of the father and permitted the family to use the name.
Sources:
- “Court Approves Political Names of Reich Babies.” Milwaukee Journal 7 Mar. 1931: 1.
- “Baby Named Hitlerike.” Queenslander 18 Jun. 1931: 32.
- Would you name your child after Hitler? – History News Network
Image: Adapted from Adolf Hitler photo by Heinrich Hoffmann via Bundesarchiv (Bild 183-H1216-0500-002) under CC BY-SA 3.0 DE.
[Latest update: Feb. 2026]
The court ruling didn’t last long: in 1933 the name name Hitlerike was not only banned, but also all children bearing that name had to be renamed; see here
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitlerike
(in german)
elbowin, thanks for the link!