I named my daughter after a character in a fairy tale – the registrar refused to agree to it but I talked her round
HAPPILY handing in the form to register her second child’s name, new mum Danielle Shap smiled with pride.
But it quickly became a frown when the woman handling the registration gave her an odd look.
“She asked me if I was serious,” Danielle, 45, said. “Then she told me I needed to go away and think seriously about the name I’d chosen.”
“She told me we should go home and reconsider because my daughter might be teased.
“I was taken aback.”
The programme manager mum, from Enfield, north London, refused to be daunted by the well-meaning advice and stood her ground.
“I explained the name was traditional and lovely and told her she needed to simply file our paperwork.”
Danielle had named her daughter Cinderella and it was a moniker she wasn’t willing to alter.
“I thought this should have been a fairy tale experience and yet it was becoming a nightmare,” she said.
“My daughter’s full name is Lola Cinderella. She was born on the stroke of midnight and is my little princess. I wasn’t changing her name for anyone.”
Danielle’s request to simply process the paperwork wasn’t the end of the name registration problems.
“Once the clerk accepted I wasn’t changing my mind she then explained I’d have to take a seat while she checked if Cinderella was trademarked.
“I was even more shocked because I wasn’t setting up a company I was naming my little girl.”
Danielle learnt Britain’s rules on baby names are among the most liberal in the world.
According to the General Register Office, there are no restrictions on parents in the UK when naming their child – except for in exceptional cases, such as a name which could be deemed offensive, when an official could refuse to register it.
However, it’s also sometimes deemed necessary to check if a name has British trademark implications if it’s well-known.
She was born on the stroke of midnight and is my little princess
Danielle Shap
“Eventually my Little Cinderella was given the thumbs up,” said Danielle, “I thought giving birth would be the hardest thing,” added the now single mum-of-three.
“Danielle admits many people will be shocked by her name choice, especially since Love Island star Molly-Mae sparked controversy after revealing she’d named her daughter Bambi.
“I know lots of Bambis. I only know one Cinderella and I know people will have a Marmite reaction – either love it or hate it.
“Everyone has a view on my daughter’s name and I don’t care. She is my Cinders and it’s perfect for her”.
Danielle’s little Cinderella was born in March 2017 at the stroke of midnight after a mere two hour labour at Barnet General Hospital, weighing 7lb 2oz.
“I had a list of possible names but wanted to meet her first before deciding what to call her,” the mum said.
“When I realised her unique time of birth on the stroke of midnight I immediately thought ‘Cinderella.”
I thought this should have been a fairy tale experience and yet it was becoming a nightmare
Danielle Shap
“The name had extra special significance to me and her dad. Our first date had been to the movie Cinderella starring Lily James when it came out in 2015. We felt our little girl being born just after midnight and our date to the movie was the universe telling us to name her Cinderella. That’s what I did.
“When I told my family their initial reaction to her name they were somewhat surprised.
Most people loved the name combination whereas some others were more surprised.
Within days of announcing her second child’s name Danielle realised her unique choice had gone viral among her mates.
“A friend told me a relative from another part of the country had told her about a ‘rumour’ she’d heard about a woman calling her daughter Lola Cinderella and she thought it was unbelievable or an urban legend,” she said.
“My pal explained I was real and the name was true and beautiful. We were both stunned that people we didn’t know had heard about the name and it was the source of social media gossip.
“I didn’t really care because Cinderella is perfect for my little princess.”
I wanted my girls to have unique names and I don’t care what critics think
Danielle Shap
On her first birthday my daughter had a Cinderella-themed birthday party.
“It was the obvious choice,” she said. “She has an amazing collection of Cinderella books, dresses, Cinderella dolls and a friend even gifted her a silver Cinderella carriage.
Danielle says most of her family and friends expected her to choose a name with an unusual or modern twist.
“I took up burlesque dancing in my 30s to get fit and my nickname is Jessica Rabbit.
“When it came to naming Cinderella, I wanted her name to be memorable.
When Danielle had her next child she also wanted a unique and memorable name for her, she revealed.
“I named my third child Mitzi-Honey, now 4, when she was born in October 2018. Cinders and Mitzi love dressing up in Cinderella style princess gowns and love their names.
“I wanted my girls to have unique names and I don’t care what critics think. Their names are quite simply charming!”