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“The local Committee on Terminology undertook the right to decide how to name and how not to name a child. The list of objectionable names is already compiled and given to the government. A special place is given to the Soviet legacy,” the article of “russian.rt.com” portal published under the title of “There is no room for Ivan in the mountains of Azerbaijan - Baku bans Russian names” says.

“Not every Azerbaijani family will give his daughter to Dmitry,” Chairman of the Commission Sayala Sagidova believes. However, according to her women names like Maria, Catherine, Olga should fall under the ban too, the InoTV says.

“The names should be short, succinct and specific,” Sagidova sums up.

The bill has caused a mixed reaction with the Azerbaijani population. One part of the community supports the initiative, and the other is seriously concerned about it. Opponents believe that the restrictions not only will significantly limit the choices, but will also impinge on the highly revered family traditions in Azerbaijan. It is noted that the law will affect only the titular ethnic group.

The government has to make up the final decision. Some experts believe that the Parliament of Azerbaijan will opt for the individuality even if it is controversial.

As Azerbaijani news agency "ANS-Press" notes there are young people with non-standard and sometimes ridiculous names in Azerbaijan at present like Bibigulu, Packet, Piapish, Siarkhosh, Gulbasar, Jindar and girls with not less strange names like Dibir, Toykhanim, Siaikhanim, Gilas, Aiva, Taiiara, Findig, Limon, Zhaket, Ufune, etc. In Soviet times there were names like Ingilab, Traktor, Kombain, Kolkhoz, Otiaber, Bolshevik, Comsomol, Prikaz, Novella, etc. There is a kid in azerbaijan registered with the name of Jallad (executioner), the article says.

According to the agency, the deputy chairman of the terminology of the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan Saialla Sadigova said that this year a special control over names given to children will be held in Azerbaijan. Commission on Terminology in this connection has prepared proposals to the relevant governmental bodies. Soon the Names and Surnames department under the terminology Commission will prepare a list of available names in the country. This list will be sent to all state registration of acts of civil status services.

“We are concerned with the two-and three-syllable names that are given to children. A ban will be put on such names. A ban will be put on names like Mary, Catherine, Alya and other Russian names. In addition, the educational activities will be held among the population. People are involved in the invention of names by themselves. Till now names like Denise (sea), Darya (Ocean), Yagmur (Rain) and Ugur (Luck) were not so common. But these names sound good, so there is no ban on these names,” said S. Sadygova.

Last year, the Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan adopted the “principle of traffic lights” according to which the state agencies themselves determine "trustworthy" and "forbidden" names of the children that their parents may chose. Armenian names were in the "red" list of forbidden names. Also the special committee of the National Academy of Sciences approved the draft law according to which the ending of the last names in Azerbaijan will be changed from "ov" and "ev" to Turkish "lu-li", "bailey", etc.

Chairman of Culture Committee of Azerbaijani Parliament Nizami Jafarov, answered the question, how will the new law affect on national minorities of Azerbaijan, like Lezgin, Talysh, Avars, Tats and other people: “The issue is posed in such a way that anyone who considers himself an Azerbaijani, and most of the small peoples in Azerbaijan are now mixed with the Azerbaijani people and consider themselves Azerbaijanis, will have to change their names.”