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Naming a baby is a wonderful moment in the lives of new parents. Yet, they may not immediately think about the legality of the baby’s name.
This way you can name your baby without getting into trouble with the law.
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Are there any banned baby names in the UK?
In the UK, names that could pose a risk to a child are likely to be rejected by the registration officer.
This includes names that contain obscenities, numbers, misleading titles, or names that are impossible to pronounce.
For example, in 2016, a mother in Wales was no longer allowed to call her daughter Cyanide.
This is because her child would share her name with a deadly poison.
What are you not legally allowed to name your child in the UK?
In Britain there are no set laws about banned names, unlike Iceland, where only names chosen from a pre-determined government list are accepted.
In almost all cases, as long as the name is not fraudulent, you can name your baby whatever you want.
The very few banned names in the UK include Martian, Monkey and Akuma, which means devil, according to MotherJunction.
Which baby names are banned or illegal worldwide?
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Different countries have different rules regarding the name you can give your baby.
Some have rules that prohibit special characters, such as @, in baby names, or only accept names in the native language.
In 2018, a French couple were banned from naming their baby girl Liam after French authorities intervened, arguing that it was “likely to create a risk of gender confusion” and “therefore contrary to the child’s best interests and could harm her in social relations”.
What names do other countries ban?
Portugal
Portugal has a strict list of 83 pages of approved and unapproved names.
Several British names, including those of the royal family, are banned.
These names include Catherine, George, Charlotte, and William.
Denmark
Denmark has a specific register.
There are about 7,000 approved baby names on the list. If you want to choose a different name, you must ask permission.
More than 1,000 names are assessed each year, of which almost a fifth are rejected, usually because of their unusual spelling.
Suggested names such as Jakobp and Ashleiy have been banned in the past.
Germany
German naming laws are among the strictest in the world. Names may only be chosen after local authorities have approved them.
Names should indicate the baby’s gender. Gender neutral names should have a middle name added so it’s clear if the baby is a boy or a girl.
The name parents choose should also not be ridiculous and should not be based on a product or object.
In Germany, the names Adolf Hitler and Osama Bin Laden, among others, are banned.
America
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The laws surrounding baby names vary depending on the state you are in. In some states, like Kentucky, there are no rules at all.
In other places, such as California, names that are not in the English alphabet are prohibited. That is, 1000 is prohibited as a name, but One Thousand is not.
Canadian singer Grimes and tech billionaire Elon Musk ran into trouble in California when they wanted to name their baby X Æ A-12 Musk.
The few names that are banned in America are titles such as duke, king, or queen.
Australia
Australia has a number of rules when it comes to names, including laws that prohibit names that are obscene or unpleasant.
Names that are very long are also not allowed. The same goes for names that are used in slang for genitals.
Australia has previously banned names such as Ikea, Thong and even ‘Australia’ as brand names.
Saudi Arabia
In 2014, the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Interior introduced a list of 51 banned names that are not in accordance with the social traditions of the country.
Most of the names on the banned list had a religious connotation, but names with a foreign sound were also banned.
Names like Linda and Maya are on the banned list.
