German couple finally give up trying to name their baby 'Lucifer'

A German couple have been successfully prevented from naming their newborn child Lucifer.

The couple from Kassel in Hesse, Germany, had hoped to give their baby boy the name despite authorities in the region rejecting their suggestion earlier this year. The court said that naming the child Lucifer would not be in its best interest and could threaten its welfare.

After months of legal wrangling, the couple were finally convinced at a closed hearing on Wednesday (October 25) to change their baby's name. The pair, who have not been named for legal reasons, have now decided to name the boy Lucian, according to court spokesman Matthias Grund.

While there is no specific ban on baby names in Germany, district courts are allowed to challenge the name if they think it impact on the child's well-being.

The registry office was within its rights to do so, but had the parents insisted, the court would have been forced to accede to their demand.

During the hearing it was explained that the word 'Lucifer' is in fact derived from Latin and means 'bearer of light.' However, over the centuries its meaning has more commonly come to represent evil as it is associated with Christian devil mythology.

This is not the first time parents have been stopped from giving their baby a controversial name.

Earlier this year civil authorities in Saudi Arabia banned a local man from naming his daughter after Ivanka Trump. Names are strictly regulated in the kingdom and those deemed blasphemous or unsuitable are banned.

In 2014 the country's interior ministry also banned 50 names from use, including Mary and Elaine.