In a faddish nation, a prevailing endemic of renaming Icelandic companies to include the suffix “Group” had already caught the attention of the oftentimes self-absorbed national psyche. After Icelandair, Baugur, Bakkavör and even somnolent medical devices company Medcare had renamed themselves FL-Group, Baugur Group, Bakkavör Group and Flaga Group, respectively, Icelandic tongues started wagging and jokes started making the rounds.
Now the Icelandic Registry of Companies has intervened and put an end to the practice. Icelandic companies are permitted to use foreign words in their names, and there are already close to one hundred companies in Iceland using the suffix “Group”. But two companies that applied for a name change late last week were denied permission to add “Group” to their name. No explanation was given.
