What's in a Name? Refugee Couple Call Their First Child 'Angela Merkel'

The parents who originally come from Syria named their first child 'Angela Merkel', with both - 'Angela' and 'Merkel' - being her first names.

Through this, the couple intended to express their gratitude to the German leader for the friendliness and hospitality they have received.

"We want to thank you that we can be here. Germany is like a mother to us," the father of the child, Mamon Alhamza, told the German newspaper Westdeutsche Allgemeine on Wednesday.

The couple is currently residing in Duisburg. The city's registration office had no problems with the name.

"The name of Angela Merkel is possible if the child's welfare is not compromised," a spokesman of the office said.

The girl was born in a Duisburg hospital on December 27. The family has been living in Germany for about three months in one of the city's refugee facilities.

Another woman from Ghana, residing in Hannover also called her daughter 'Angela Merkel' out of gratitude to the German Chancellor last year.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel enjoys popularity among refugees due to her policy of open doors. In 2015, the country accepted just over one million migrants from the Middle East and Africa, who fled the violence and poverty in their home countries.