‘We were told to get Disney’s permission before we could use our 7yo’s name’

“I can understand if an adult changes their name for a ‘stunt,’ but this is not the case for a child from birth.”

What’s in a name? Turns out quite a bit, actually. 

A Star Wars-loving family have made headlines after their son was denied a passport after officials said his name was trademarked by Disney. 

Becky and Christian Mowbray welcomed their son to the world on May 4th 2017 - or, as it’s unofficially known, Star Wars Day. 

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Becky and Christian's son's passport application was rejected because of his middle name. Picture: Facebook

“We were not aware that this could be a potential issue”

Growing up, Christian was an enormous fan of Star Wars; the entire franchise has had an enormous impact on his life ever since. 

Inspired by the birthdate and Christian’s love for the films, it was only fitting to pay tribute to the cult classic by naming him after one of the most famous characters in the entire saga.

RELATED: 'We had to cancel a trip to Disneyland because of my daughter's name'

For seven years, they never had any trouble with their son’s name, Loki Skywalker. 

However, a recent trip abroad put a pin in their plans. 

The British parents booked a holiday to the Dominican Republic. It was a much-needed trip away for the family of five; dad Christian is a soldier in The Corps of Royal Engineers and, due to his demanding schedule, hasn’t been able to organise time off since 2014.

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It was their first trip since their son was born, and all needed to get their passports up to date, including Loki’s. 

However, upon submitting the documents, the Home Office denied their son’s passport request; Disney owned the copyright to his middle name, Skywalker, and, therefore, couldn’t print the name. 

“We were not aware that this could be a potential issue,” the British father told Suffolk News. “We understand that Loki's middle name is copyrighted, but we have no intention of using it for personal gain.”

In order for their son to be issued a passport, Becky and Christian would either have to get permission from Disney or change his name entirely. 

Christian told the outlet that while he understands the Home Office’s “position and reasoning” with their refusal, he argued they should “recognise that modern names are evolving”. 

“I can understand if an adult changes their name for a ‘stunt,’ but this is not the case for a child from birth,” he said. 

Thankfully, the Home Office told Suffolk News that there had been a delay in the passport process, and the application was “being processed”. 

A short time later, the passport application was approved, meaning the family could get a much-needed holiday. 

RELATED: 'He pressured me into deciding on a baby name because we needed a passport'

The Force is strong in this family. Picture: Facebook, Disney/Lucasfilm

"There might be other people in this situation"

This is not the first time a passport has been denied to a child with a pop culture-inspired name. 

In August, British mum Lucy was planning to take her daughter on a holiday to Disneyland Paris. However, her six-year-old’s passport application was rejected, citing copyright laws. 

Her name, you ask? Khaleesi - the Dothraki title for Daenerys Targaryen, from the hit TV show Game of Thrones. 

Much like the case for Christian and Becky, the Passport Office informed Lucy she’d only be able to get her daughter a passport if she contacted Warner Brothers - the company that produced the series - to get permission to use the name. which was trademarked due to the series' immense popularity. 

“It was the first I’ve heard of such a thing - I was astonished,” she told the BBC. “I didn't understand and felt frustrated. If she could get a birth certificate, would something not have been flagged up then?

“I never thought you could trademark a name,” she said. 

In another happy ending, the Passport Office apologised to the British mum and informed her there’d been a “misunderstanding” regarding her 6o’s name; staff were enforcing guidelines only used for people who are trying to change their names, not applying for a passport. 

While Lucy was relieved by the outcome, she was worried that others could be caught in a similar situation, which was likely only resolved due to the large media attention. 

“If I hadn’t posted this on social media, nothing would have been done,” she said. 

“I think there might be other people in this situation, that they may have had their passports declined recently because of something like this. Hopefully, they now know it can be resolved.” 

Originally published as ‘We were told to get Disney’s permission before we could use our 7yo’s name’