French Court Upholds Use of Tilde in Breton Name Fañch

The tribunal in Lorient ruled that the tilde in the name Fañch does not violate French language laws or the child's best interests.

A Lorient court ruled in favor of parents wishing to use the tilde (~) in their child's Breton name, Fañch, overturning a prior decision to remove it from the birth certificate.
The prosecutor of Lorient had cited a 2014 circular restricting diacritical marks in French names, which excludes the tilde, as the basis for the removal.
The court's decision affirms the parents' right to choose the name's traditional spelling, stating it aligns with both the French language and the child's interests.
The case highlights ongoing tensions between regional linguistic traditions and national naming regulations in France, particularly regarding the 2014 circular that has not been updated despite prior controversies.
A similar case regarding the name Fañch is set for a ruling later this week in Angers, where parents have appealed a decision to remove the tilde from their child's name.