Choosing a name for your baby is one of the most exciting moments, but it can also be complicated. As a parent, you have to think about how the name will affect your child in the future and whether the name has a negative meaning or not. Of course you want to give your baby a unique name to stand out from the others. You should be able to make the right decision when naming your baby. As we know that there are many baby name references that you can choose from. However, make sure you choose a name that is not prohibited. The United States has fairly loose rules about naming. Well, in this post, we will share baby names that are banned in the United States and around the world.
Naming Laws in the United States
The United States has rather lax naming laws. However, as a parent, you should know that there are some names that should not be used for your baby. These rules vary from state to state. However, most states prohibit numerals in a name. For example, a name like “Mon1ka.”
In addition, some states also limit the number of characters that can be used in a name, as well as the inclusion of foreign characters, symbols, emoji, obscenity, or offensive language. Also, certain states do not allow the use of accents or non-English letters, often due to the inability of their information systems to process vital records that include these characters. For your information, one of the states that does not allow the use of accents is California. However, they do not prohibit the use of hyphens and apostrophes, which is why Elon Musk and his wife Grimes were able to name their child “X AE A-XII”.
Common Reasons for Baby Name Bans
The following are several common reasons for baby name bans:
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- Character limit
- Indecent names
- Brackets, blank spaces and symbols
- Controversial names
- Royal names, official titles
- Product names, company names, hero names
Every state, country, or jurisdiction has slightly different rules. Below is an example of name restrictions in the following U.S. states:
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- California bans symbols, numerals, and punctuation marks.
- Texas bans symbols, punctuation marks, numbers, titles, and ranks.
- New Jersey bans numerals, symbols and obscenities.
- Michigan bans symbols, numbers, and punctuation marks.
- Virginia bans symbols, numerals, punctuation marks, epithets and slurs.
Other countries may ban certain names for cultural or religious reasons. Or, because the name contains letters not included in their alphabet. In most names in the United States, Hyphens are allowed. However, the use of accents is not allowed.
Illegal Baby Names in the United States
There are certain names that are banned in the United States. These naming laws are partly due to the fact that many courts have interpreted certain parts of the US Constitution in favour of parents’ right to choose their child’s name. Certain states have stricter naming laws, however, Kentucky does not implement such laws. Despite these relatively lax naming regulations, there are still some names that have been declared illegal by courts in the US.
Illegal Baby Names in the United States include:
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- @
- Adolf Hitler
- Duke
- III
- Jesus Christ
- Judge
- King
- Lucía
- Majesty
- Master
- Messiah
- Misteri Nigger
- Queen
- Santa Claus
- 1069
Illegal Baby Names Around the World
As we’ve already explained, the US has relatively lax naming regulations. In many other countries, naming laws are much stricter. In certain parts of the country, parents must choose a name for their baby from a list of pre-approved names. Parents can make a formal petition to include a new name on the list. In addition, in most countries, parents are also not allowed to give their children names that are silly or that may cause problems in social interactions. Below is a list of baby names that are illegal around the world.
Illegal Baby Names in Australia include:
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- Admiral
- Baron
- Batman
- Bonghead
- Brother
- Cadet
- Chow Tow
- Circumcision
- Dame
- Duke
- God
- Hitler
- Honour
- Ikea
- iMac
- Lady
- LOL
- Lord
- Majesty
- Pieandsauce
- Prime Minister
- Princess
- Queen
- Ranga
- Saint
- Satan
- Sir
- Smelly
- Snort
- Spinach
- Virgin
Illegal Baby Names in New Zealand include:
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- Adolf Hitler
- Anal
- Benson and Hedges
- Bishop
- Caesarean
- Chief Maximus
- Christ
- Commodore
- Chow Tow
- Constable
- Duke
- Empress
- Fat boy
- Fish and Chips
- Hitler
- H-Q
- II
- III
- J
- Impryss
- Justice
- Justus
- King
- Knight
- L B
- Lucifer
- Mafia No Fear
- Martian
- Messiah
- Minister
- MJ
- Mr
- Panties
- Prince
- Princess
- Queen
- Regal
- Rogue
- Royal
- Royale
- Saint
- Sarjant
- Sex Fruit
- Sir
- Suprintendent
- T
- Talula
- 4Real
- 89
Illegal Baby Names in Sweden include:
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- Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116
- Elvis
- Ikea
- K8lyn
- Metallica
- Peniskin
- Q
- Superman
- Veranda
Illegal Baby Names in United Kingdom include:
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- Akuma
- Chow Tow
- Cyanide
- Martian
- Monkey
- Rogue
Illegal Baby Names in Saudi Arabia include:
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- Alice
- Amir
- Arm
- Binyamin
- Elaine
- Eleen
- Eman
- Inar
- Lareen
- Lauren
- Linda
- Malaak
- Malek
- Malika
- Maya
- Nabi
- Nardeen
- Naris
- Sandy
- Sitav
- Tabarak
- Yara
Illegal Baby Names in Mexico include:
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- Adolf Hitler
- All Power
- Batman
- Burger King
- Christ
- Christmas Day
- Circumcision
- Escroto
- Harry Potter
- Hermoine
- Hitler
- Illuminated
- James Bond
- Juan Calzón
- Marciana
- Pocahontas
- Rambo
- Robocop
- Rocky
- Rolling Stone
- Scrotum
- Terminator
- Traffic
- Us navy
Illegal Baby Names in France include:
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- Babar
- Daemon
- Fraise
- Griezmann Mbappe
- Joyeux
- Jihad
- Manhattan
- Marseille
- Megane Renaud
- Minnie Cooper
- MJ
- Nutella
- Patriste
- Prince William
- Strawberry
- Titeuf
Illegal Baby Names in Portugal include:
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- Ashanti
- Bruce
- Catherine
- Charlotte
- Emily
- George
- Jenny
- Jimmy
- Michael
- Nirvana
- Phillip
- Rihanna
- Sayonara
- Thor
- Tom
- Viking
- William
Illegal Baby Names in Iceland include:
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- Camilla
- Caroline
- Claire
- Cleopatra
- Duncan
- Enrique
- Harriet
- Ludwig
- Zoe
Illegal Baby Names in Norway include:
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- Bridge
- Gesher
- Hansen
- Haugen
- Johansen
- Larsen
- Olsen
- Russell
Illegal Baby Names in Switzerland include:
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- Chanel
- Judas
- Lucifer
- Mercedes
- Paris
- Schmid
Illegal Baby Names in Malaysia include:
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- 007
- Adolf Hitler
- Chinese Ah Chwar
- Chow Tow
- Khiow Khoo
- Martian
- Sor Chai
- Woti
Illegal Baby Names in Germany include:
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- Adolf Hitler
- Kohl
- Matti
- Osama bin Laden
- Stompie
Illegal Baby Names in Denmark include:
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- Ashleiy
- Anus
- Jakobp
- Monkey
- Pluto
Illegal Baby Names in Italy include:
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- Blue
- Friday
- Venerdì
Illegal Baby Names in China include:
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- Islam
- Quran
Illegal Baby Names in Spain include:
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- Judas
- Lobo
Illegal Baby Name in Morocco include:
-
- Sarah
Illegal Baby Name in Japan include:
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- Akuma
Illegal Baby Name in Hungary include:
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- Stephan
A bookworm and researcher especially related to law and citizenship education. I spend time every day in front of the internet and the campus library.
