Armenian couple name baby after French president - "Sarkozy"

Without doubt it takes all sorts to make a world, including parents who name their child in honour of someone they truly admire.

But how would you feel if a member of your family or a friend named their son after the French president?

Sarkozy Avetisian (screenshot from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty report)

No not "Nicolas" which, let's face it, would be a more recognisably conventional first name, but "Sarkozy".

Well that's exactly what a couple in Armenia has done.

Sarkozy Avetisian was born last week in the country's second largest city of Gyumri and his parents had apparently planned on naming their first child after one of the grandfathers.

But they had a last-minute change of heart, and it was one full of symbolism.

How?

Well last week also saw the passing through the Senate in France, of a controversial bill that makes it a criminal offence in this country to deny that genocide was committed by Ottoman Turks against Armenians during World War I.

The bill was supported by Sarkozy (the French president that is. Are you getting a little confused?) and as it has passed through both the National Assembly and the Senate in France, now only needs his seal of approval to become law.

It's a decision that has not made him - or France - any friends in Turkey; quite the opposite in fact.

And France's foreign minister Alain Juppé has, and will have, more than his work cut out to ease those "diplomatic tensions" between the two countries that have occurred as a result.

In Armenia though and among France's half a million citizens of Armenian descent, the decision is of huge importance and was described as historic.

And it certainly wasn't lost on Karapet Avetisian, the father of the newly-born Sarkozy (the baby, not the French president, just in case you were wondering).

"On behalf of the Armenian people and my own behalf I thank Sarkozy (the French president, just in case you weren't following) for this step," Avetisian said in an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

"And the name of the child is in his honour."