Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:26:31-2:27:21

The French law against naming a pig Napoleon is a myth

France did not outlaw naming pigs Napoleon; a translation choice in Animal Farm appears to have generated the persistent claim.

Animal FarmFiction Animal Farm NapoleonFrench LawHistorical MythsNapoleon Bonaparte
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Question

Is it illegal to name a pig Napoleon in France?

Short answer

No; the claim appears to come from changing the pig's name to Caesar in French translations of Animal Farm.

Notes

France has no law forbidding people from naming a pig Napoleon. The story is linked to French translations of Animal Farm, where the tyrannical pig was renamed Caesar. That publishing choice appears to have reflected concern about reception rather than a statutory ban. A translation decision then hardened into a persistent legal myth.