Find out which names are banned in different countries around the world

Parents often want to give their children a different name, and they are not always successful, even creating bizarre names. Many governments try to protect their newborn citizens from embarrassing situations in the future and even create lists of banned names.

It is true that each country has its criteria; for example, in Germany and Switzerland, the name has to be approved by the civil registry. In Morocco, on the other hand, it is not allowed to call a daughter Sarah, as it has a foreign spelling, although the name itself is not at all problematic.

In many countries, laws regulating children’s names are based on a simple principle: the name must not sound like a rude or offensive word and must not cause problems for the child in the future. However, in some places, the ban can be extended to very common names if these violate cultural traditions.

At the awesome.club we already addressed the issue of banned names in another post. Today, we are going to surprise you with unusual laws and really fancy names.

Until 1993 the choice of names was controlled by a law passed by a rule from the time of Napoleon Bonaparte. Today, those responsible for issuing birth certificates are required to inform the local court of names that may lead to child embarrassment. In that case, the court may ban the name.

Prohibited names: Nutella, Strawberry, Mini Cooper, Prince William.

The country’s government prohibits foreign names, as well as those that may be considered indecent, blasphemous or those that violate social and religious traditions.

Prohibited names: Linda, Angel, Maya, Queen, Alicia, Ben, Prophet.

Parents can choose a name from a pre-approved list that contains approximately 1,800 options for each gender (except in cases where both parents are foreign nationals). If the name is not on the list, the special committee must first approve it. The name must not conflict with Icelandic grammar and spelling rules. For example, if the name contains the letters Q or W, it will be prohibited, as these letters do not appear in the Icelandic alphabet.

Prohibited names: Harriet, Duncan, Zoe, Enrique, Ludwig.

In the country of our ‘patricians’, names must be traditionally Portuguese, explicitly denote gender and must not look like nicknames. To facilitate the management of the issue, a special list of permitted names has been drawn up by the government.

Prohibited names: Rihanna, Nirvana, Viking, Sayonara, Jimmy.

In Germany it is not allowed to name the child without prior approval from the local civil registry office. Names that could negatively affect the well-being of children are also prohibited. Also, the child’s name must identify the gender, and if you choose a neutral name, you should look for a middle name that meets this requirement. It is not allowed to use product names or nicknames.

Prohibited names: Adolf Hitler, Osama Bin Laden, Woodstock, Gramophone.

The name can be chosen from an approved list, in which there are 18 thousand female names and 15 thousand male names. If you want to rename your child, you must first obtain permission. The name must identify the gender and match the spelling of the country.

Prohibited names: Monkey, Pluto, Kammmilla (yes, with three “m”), Ashleiy, Jacobo.

The list of prohibited names includes titles, numbers, colors, vegetables, fruits, equipment, vulgar expressions. If the parents still want to give their child such a name, they can submit a special request, which may or may not be approved.

Prohibited names: Crazy, Smelly Head, Hunchback 007, Hitler.

It is forbidden to name the child with a single letter or to give names that are obviously inappropriate, which may cause some future embarrassment.

Prohibited names: Elvis, Allah Akbar, K8lyn.

In Switzerland, as in Germany, the name must be approved by the civil registry office. Surnames cannot be used as names, as well as names of biblical villains, product brands and place names. You cannot give boys female names and vice versa. Any offensive, shocking and ridiculous option is prohibited.

Prohibited names: Cain, Judas, Brooklyn, Chanel, Mercedes, Paris.

In the United Kingdom there are no laws that control the matter, but even so, the special bodies can deny the registration of names that consist of obscene expressions, numbers, titles and also that are impossible to pronounce.

Names that might harm someone or that exceed 100 characters. For example, the name Justice is prohibited: the word not only means “justice” in the sense of something fair, but also serves to address the Judiciary.

Prohibited names: “.”, Gordo, Lucifer, Jesus Christ, Hawaiian Talula Baila Hulu, Constable, Saint, Chief Maximus, 4real, Mafia No Fear.

Previously in China it was forbidden to name children after the acting Emperor. Nowadays, the restrictions are related to the language: in Chinese there are 70 thousand characters, but not all of them are readable by computers. Therefore, the name is chosen so that it can be entered into a digital form.

In Mexico, names that have a derogatory meaning, are meaningless or could lead to harassment are prohibited. Names of fictional characters are also prohibited.

Prohibited names: Circumcision, Hermione, Burger King, Robocop, Lady Di, Spinach, Twitter, Pocahontas, Christmas, Email.

In Morocco, a child cannot be registered with the name the parents have chosen for him if he is of foreign origin. For example, as already mentioned, the name Sarah it is prohibited due to foreign spelling; already the arabic version Sara is allowed.

In Russia since 2017 it is forbidden to call children numbers, alphanumeric characters, symbols and characters without letters, obscene words, positions and titles.

In Australia, there is a list of prohibited names which mainly includes titles and categories. Also, you cannot use profanity, very long words, as well as those that include characters that do not appear in the English alphabet. Diacritical marks, comas, quotes and forward slashes are also prohibited.

Prohibited names: #ROFL, LOL, iMac, Jesus Christ, Marijuana, Australia, Satan, Sister, God.

The most curious thing about all these names is that if they got on the banned lists, it means that some parents really wanted to call their children that way.

And you, which name did you find the most extravagant?