Das Mädchen, das nicht Esther heißen durfte

the long version

Relates the story of a German priest, Friedrich Luncke, who in 1938 wanted to give his daughter the name of Esther, but was told by the registrar of births that this name was too Jewish, and therefore not permitted. Luncke took his application to court. The final verdict was made by the Berlin court, which decided that the name Esther was taboo for Aryans, because the Old Testament showed that Esther was an undesirable character. Discusses the attitudes of German judges during the Nazi regime, citing three decisions of the Supreme Court concerning names which a person born during the Third Reich was allowed to bear. (From the Bibliography of the Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Antisemitism)