"Should We Name Our Baby 'Haaland'?... World Cup Star’s Success Sparks Baby Naming Craze"

468 Newborns Named 'Haaland', 91 Registered as 'Erling Haaland'


Peruvian Parents Name Their Children After Soccer Stars

Norwegian national soccer team forward Erling Haaland, who performed spectacularly at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America, has become so popular that a wave of newborns in Peru are being named after him.

Norwegian national football team striker Erling Haaland. Photo by AP Yonhap News

According to local media such as Peru21 on July 10 (local time), the Peruvian National Registry of Identification and Civil Status recently announced that hundreds of parents have registered their children’s names as "Haaland."

According to the registry, there are 468 newborns given the name "Haaland," while 91 children have been registered with the full name "Erling Haaland."

Most of these registrations were filed after the start of the World Cup, and the number increased further when Norway reached the quarterfinals for the first time in its history.

Peruvian government spokesperson Ivan Torres joked, "Now Haaland is also Peruvian," adding that "global soccer stars inspire parents to give their children unique names."

The culture of naming children after soccer stars has a long tradition in Peru.

According to the National Registry, there are currently 3,402 people in Peru named "Messi," of whom 292 use the full name "Lionel Messi."

Additionally, there are 1,185 people named "Cristiano Ronaldo," 1,241 named "Yamal," and 238 named "Mbappe." The most popular name is the Brazilian soccer star "Neymar," with an astonishing 33,809 people using his name.

Spokesperson Torres explained, "We cannot stop parents from giving these names," and added, "In Peru, as long as a name is not offensive or derogatory, parents are free to choose their children's names."

Meanwhile, Haaland’s popularity has also spread beyond the stadium during this World Cup. In Miami, USA, a Haaland look-alike contest was held, and various memes parodying his appearance and behavior are going viral on social media, attracting widespread attention.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.