Contents
Fañch is a Breton first name here means François. And several famous people wear it: the Breton writer Fañch Peru author of “Glisar’chant”, “Eus an aod ved’ar c’hoad don”… or yet another famous Breton writer: Fañch Broudig, author of “Histoire de the Breton language ”,“ Taolennou ar baradoz ”…
So why, until now, this little boy could not bear his first name? Simply because of this signe diacritique: tilde who is not not authorized by the French administration according to a circular of July 23, 2014.
Refused by the civil status officer and the Quimper court
First refused by the registrar when registering on the family record book, then by the court of Quimper, the parents’ lawyer, Maître Jean-René Kerloc’h had requested the confirmation of the judgment of the court of Quimper before the court of appeal of Rennes. He recalled that the dDictionary of the French Academy included words with the tilde, and that the first name chosen by the parents was related to the Breton origins of the family, and that it was not not harmful to the child.
Local elected officials support the family
Throughout their efforts, Fañch’s parents received the support of local elected officials and their lawsuit was even funded by a donation campaign by the Skoazell Vreizh Association. Earlier this week, the Rennes Court of Appeal ruled: little Fañch will be able to keep his tilde because the first name thus spelled has already been accepted by the public prosecutor of Rennes in May 2002 and by a civil status officer in Paris in January 2009.