Peru has 700 children registered with the name Pelé to remember the king of football

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Every year, on January 1st, the National Identification Registry of Peru publishes the list of the most curious names chosen by parents to baptize their newborns. At the beginning of 2023, football stars are at the top of the list. A few days after his death, Pelé is the new name of hundreds of Peruvian children.

Many parents decided to honor the king of football after his death, which happened on December 29th. By the end of the year, it is likely that the number of “Pelés babies” will grow even more in the country.

For the time being, the names Ronaldo and Cristiano Ronaldo are still the preferred names on the list released by Peru’s National Identification Registry, which organizes data on birth certificates issued in the country. According to the body, 30,000 children born in 2022 honor the Portuguese star, who won the Ballon d’Or five times.

The World Cup also influenced many families. Messi, surname of the Argentine top scorer, was chosen by 27 Peruvian parents. In addition, 176 children are now named Argentina. Dibu, the name of the goalkeeper of the World Cup winning team, was another source of inspiration.

Peruvians also do not hide their admiration for the French national team: the top scorer Mbappé now has 230 namesakes in the country, and the player Antoine Griezmann, 86.

Other babies can be considered victims of their times: three little Peruvians are now called “Mundial” and one of them will probably be the only “Qatar” in Peru.

‘Top Gun’ is unbeatable

British royalty and cinema also populate the collective imagination in Andean lands. Peru’s National Identification Register reports that 550 girls are now named Elizabeth, in honor of the queen who died in early September. King Charles III inspired only five families, which proves that the new monarch is not among the most popular figures in the royal family.

Merlina, the Spanish name of the series “Wandinha”, by Tim Burton, which tells the story of the daughter of the famous “Adams Family”, was chosen by the parents of 250 girls.

The champion of popularity, however, remains Maverick, the character played by Tom Cruise in the movie “Top Gun”, the registered name of 733 Peruvian children last year. As a curiosity, only one child was registered with the name of the controversial businessman Elon Musk.

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