Rahim Zulfoniyon, a representative from the State Committee on Language and Terminology, said that a working group of linguists, university professors, and academicians have been developing the registry which will contain more than 4,500 Tajik names for boys and girls.

At a press conference, Mr Zulfoniyon said that the database was designed to promote Tajik culture.

“We urge parents to refrain from naming their newborns with unpronounceable and difficult names, and name their children with easy and beautiful names,” he said.

The new name regulations mean that people cannot choose Soviet or Russian surnames and importantly Arab names labelled “alien to Tajik culture”

Unless you have dual Russian citizenship, you cannot use the “ov” suffix on surnames. Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon was, until 2010, called Rakhmonov. He dropped the ‘ov’ in a show of patriotism.

The name registry will be approved over the next couple of weeks but people have already started

complaining that they cannot give babies the names they want.

Hakim, 28, said he had been overjoyed by the birth of his son.

“I wanted to call him Abubakr in honour of the Prophet Muhammad’s companion, but the civil registry officials told me I should choose a Tajik name from the list. Why can’t I give my son the name I want?” he said.

A Dushanbe-based analyst, who wished to remain anonymous, said this was another attempt to prevent radical Islam taking root in Tajikistan.

“I think some officials wanted to show the President that they are also fighting radicalism in light of anti- Islamic policies of the government”, he said.