Eccentric names the norm in Brazil but ‘Samba’ rejected as too outlandish

Sao Paulo registry office snubs music star Seu Jorge's choice for newborn son, despite far more unusual names being accepted

As the country that produced footballers called Socrates Brasileiro Sampaio de Souza Vieira de Oliveira and Elvis Vieira Araujo, Brazil is no stranger to unconventional - albeit familiar-sounding - names.

A scan of the names of the far-right vandals who were arrested for storming government buildings in Brasilia earlier this month confirms the Brazilian penchant for eye-catching monikers. The list throws up a Bach and a Mozart, as well as a Ditter Marx and creative twists on more conventional first names, such as Marileide (Mary Lady), Rosemeire (Rosemary), and Dawydy (David).