Bulgaria: Information on whether there is a law making it illegal to give children Macedonian names and/or whether there is an official book that lists permissible names for children
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 February 1993 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | BGR13172 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Bulgaria: Information on whether there is a law making it illegal to give children Macedonian names and/or whether there is an official book that lists permissible names for children, 1 February 1993, BGR13172, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab9821.html [accessed 28 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
There is no information currently available to the DIRB which would indicate that there is a law making it illegal to name children by Macedonian names. According to Helsinki Watch, on 29 December 1989, after the fall of the Communist government, "the [new] government announced that everyone in Bulgaria would be able to choose his or her name, religion, and language freely" 12 Feb. 1991). Information on the implementation of and restrictions on this policy is available in the IRBDC Issue Paper Bulgaria: Selected Issues and Recent Developments of March 1990, currently available at Regional Documentation Centres. Information specific to Bulgarian attempts under the Communist regime to force ethnic Turks, Pomaks and Gypsies to change their names is available on request.
There is also no information currently available to the DIRB to indicate that there is an official book that lists permissible names for children. A report by the Minority Rights Group indicates, however, that a list of "official" names was used during the 1984-1985 campaign to force ethnic Turks to change their names (Oct. 1989., 12).
References
Helsinki Watch. 12 February 1991. News From Helsinki Watch. "Destroying Ethnic Identity: Selective Persecution of Macedonians in Bulgaria."
Minority Rights Group. October 1989. No. 26. Minorities in the Balkans.
