Pat and Sheena Wheaton said they decided to name their new baby "4real" shortly after having an ultrasound and being struck by the reality of his impending arrival.

"For most of us, when we try to figure out what our names mean, we have to look it up in a babies' book and . . . there's no direct link between the meaning and the name, " Pat Wheaton said on Wednesday.

"With this name, everyone knows what it means."

But when the parents filed the name with New Zealand's Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, they were told names beginning with a number were against the rules.

The government office has opened negotiations with the parents about the name under a policy that says all unusual names must be given case-bycase consideration.

"The name has not at this stage been rejected, " registrar-general Brian Clarke said in a statement Thursday. "We are currently in discussions with the parents. . . to clarify the situation."

Clarke said the rules are designed to prevent names that are "likely to cause offense to a reasonable person."

Satan and Adolf Hitler were proposed names that have been declined, he said.

If no compromise has been reached by 9 July, the baby will be registered as "real" officials say.

New Zealand law requires all children born in the South Pacific nation to be registered with the Births, Deaths and Marriages registry within two months of birth.