Family Court judge Rob Murfitt launched the attack after finding a girl had been named Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii.

He ordered the girl, the subject of a custody battle, to be placed in court guardianship so her name could be changed.

A lawyer had reported the nine-year-old was so embarrassed about her name that she had not revealed it to her friends and was otherwise known as ''K''.

The girl feared being mocked and teased, and had a better insight than her parents, who appeared not to have given any thought to the implications of the name, the lawyer said.

Judge Murfitt, who made written findings on the issue public, cited other names such as Number 16 Bus Shelter, Violence and twins Benson and Hedges.

''Recently, for the first time in my experience as a Family Court judge, the name of a child described in text language has emerged,'' he said.

On that occasion the mother had named her daughter O.crnia but was prepared to concede to a condition of a parenting order so it could be adjusted to Oceania.

He said he was concerned such names presented a social hurdle for children.

''It makes a fool of the child and sets her up with a social disability and handicap,'' the judge said.

New Zealand authorities said some of the names said to have been given to their children had not been officially registered.

''The names Fish and Chips, Masport, and Mower, Yeah Detroit, Stallion, Twisty Poi, Keenan Got Lucy and Sex Fruit have not been registered,'' registrar-general of births, deaths and marriages Brian Clarke said.

He said names could be declined for registration if they may cause offence to a reasonable person, were unreasonably long, or resembled an official title or rank. Names using numerals would also be declined. NZPA/AAP/DPA