A child’s name can greatly impact their life, influencing everything from potential bullying during school years to career opportunities as they mature.
Considering the various unconscious biases that can arise from hearing a person’s name, it’s understandable why some regulations aim to protect children from lasting stigmas related to their names.
In contrast to the relatively lenient naming conventions in the US, other regions have imposed stricter regulations, legally prohibiting certain names.
Some names are rejected in order to protect newborns from a lifetime of embarrassment, but others are struck off the list for being offensive, misleading or even unpatriotic.
France
France has come down hard on names that could be alienating for children, both in adolescence and adulthood.
But the law was set in stone when a French family tried to name their child Nutella – after the popular hazelnut chocolate spread.
In 2015, the state intervened and a judge in the northern French commune of Valenciennes refused to allow the child to be named after the pantry item, according to BBC Bitesize.
There was concern over the legal ability to use a trademarked name, but the final decision came down to the risk of humiliation for the child.
In Malaysia, natural names of plants, fruits, vegetables. animals or insects are banned, so the name of Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin’s daughter Apple (pictured) would be rejected
It was argued the name would make the baby girl ‘the target of derision’ throughout her life.
But when the parents declined to attend the hearing, the judge named the child Ella instead – a perceived compromise on the original name.
Other countries have banned similar attempts to use a brand as a name – with the names Mercedes and Chanel not allowed in Switzerland.
Also banned in the land of baguettes and frogs’ legs is the name Fraise – the French word for strawberry.
When a determined couple tried naming their daughter after the summer fruit, a court disallowed it, arguing it could be mistaken as the slang word for a bottom, the Telegraph reported.
Instead, the parents opted for Fraisine – an elegant and classic 19th century name.
Technically, French parents can name their children as they please, but the onus is on the registrar to seek to ban monikers they feel are inappropriate or against the child’s interests.
In another such example, a French family was told in 2009 that they could not name their child after the cartoon character Titeuf.
A seemingly innocent moniker, Jennifer Garner’s daughter Violet (pictured left) would have to consider changing her name if she were born in Malaysia
And in 2015, French parents tried to give their son the first name Prince William, which was rejected because it would lead to ‘a lifetime of mockery’, according to The Local.
Sweden
Sweden has strict rules for the naming of children, with the primary aim of preventing embarrassment for the child.
But in 1996, a defiant couple opted for the name Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116, to be pronounced simply ‘Albin’.
They did this to protest the fine issued to them for failing to register their son’s name before his fifth birthday.
Unsurprisingly, the 43-character moniker was not approved.
When it was rejected, the still-determined pair tried to name their son simply ‘A’ to be pronounced ‘Albin’ as before.
This was also turned down and, finally, they gave in and went for Albin.
The names Superman, Ikea and Veranda have also been turned down in Sweden over the years, having been deemed unacceptable.
But in 2008, Swedish parents won a legal battle, earning the right to name their child Lego – after the colourful building block toys.
New Zealand
In the home of Kiwis, names that resemble official titles or ranks are strictly banned.
One of the most common among this list is the name Justice, according to the BBC, being that it’s a formal title belonging to a judge.
Also on the list of banned names are Saint, Knight, Mr. and Bishop – as well as any other variations along those lines.
In Portugal, the first name Tom is banned and children must take the traditional, full spelling, Tomás (Pictured: Tom Holland)
New Zealand also has rules around the length of names – having ruled that they must not be unreasonably long.
An infamous case came to the fore in 2008, after it was discovered that a then nine-year-old girl had been named ‘Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii’ without any pushback from authorities.
It emerged that the young girl detested her name so much, she had never told anyone what she was really called.
The judge allowed her to legally change her name, and sternly reprimanded her parents for the ill-informed decision.
In 2018, a New Zealand court ruled against naming a child the Roman numeral name III.
The country has rules around calling children ‘anything unpronounceable’, like dashes and punctuation marks.
Indeed, one set of parents who tried to name their child ‘.’ – which they would have pronounced ‘full stop’ – were prevented from doing so.
At the time, Jeff Montgomery, the Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages said: ‘There’s no problem if you want to give your child a spelled-out number or even a silly name, but remember your child has to live with it!’
Among the most commonly rejected names in the country in 2018 were any regal monikers, such as Prince, King and Royal.
In the same year, the names Allah, Heaven-Princezz-Star, Queen, Roil, Royale-Bubz and Sire were also flatly rejected.
According to Portuguese regulations, actor Tom Cruise’s first name would be forbidden
Japan
A 1994 attempt to name a child was so controversial that a member of the Prime Minister’s cabinet stepped in and issued a statement advising against it.
A family decided to name their newborn son Akuma – which translates literally to Devil.
The father said he settled on the name because he wanted his son to stand out with an unforgettable moniker selected by no one else.
Bizarrely, the name was initially approved, but officials later intervened on the basis that allowing the name would lead the child to be discriminated against.
The case prompted a nationwide debate on whether the state should have a say in the naming of children.
But the parents eventually conceded after a lengthy court battle.
Also banned in Japan was a name combining the Chinese characters for ‘child’ and ‘water’.
In 2014, the parents voluntarily changed the name after being alerted by a government employee about its sinister meaning.
The word, read as chishi/mizuko, means a baby that has died in the womb either by abortion or miscarriage, Japan Today writes.
The grateful parents were happy to have been informed of the double meaning, which was unfamiliar to many young people in Japan at the time.
Portugal
Kim Kardashian has called one of her sons ‘Saint’, a name that is banned in New Zealand (Pictured: The mother and son together)
One of the most popular boys’ names with many language variations globally, the name Tom is banned in Portugal.
This is because official names in Portugal are required by law to take traditional Portuguese spellings.
So, instead of Tom, a baby boy must be named Tomás, much to the dismay of Tom Holland, Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks.
In fact, the Portuguese government has a list of pre-approved baby names that all expectant parents must select from.
Where one of the parents is not Portuguese, or if they hold dual citizenship, the rules are bent slightly.
Perhaps one of the strictest countries when it comes to names, Portugal has an 82-page list of banned monikers.
The list includes the names Paris, Nirvana and Thor. Also forbidden are any non-Portuguese names.
Malaysia
The US is among the least strict when it comes to naming children, and Elon Musk and Grimes (pictured together) named their children X Æ A-Xii, Exa Dark Sideræl and Techno Mechanicus
In 2006, Malaysia’s government tightened the rules on which names would be allowed in the country.
On the list of banned names are 007, Hitler, the Chinese word for snake and a word meaning ‘hunchback’.
Parents are also banned from naming their kids after animals, insects, fruits, vegetables or colours.
The names Chow Tow, meaning ‘smelly head’, and Sor Chai, meaning ‘insane’, were also forbidden.
Although it’s a trend that’s hugely popular in the US, Malaysia frowns upon natural names that come from plants or flowers – Gwyeth Paltrow’s ‘Apple’, for example, would be banned.
By the same logic, Jennifer Garner’s daughter Violet would need to be renamed.
Unfortunately for some creative parents, but luckily for their children, courts globally are more or less united in their desire to spare children awful names.
Italy has vetoed the name Venderdi, meaning Friday, as a ‘ridiculous or shameful’ name.
In Denmark, parents choose from a list of 7,000 pre-approved names.
They have previously rejected ‘Molli’ because of its unusual spelling and the animal name ‘Monkey’, according to Good Housekeeping.
Germany rejected the first name Schmitz, on the basis that it is a common last name and therefore not appropriate.
The country also turned down Pfefferminze, meaning peppermint, and the name Stone.
And in Wales, a mother decided on the name Cynaide for her daughter, arguing it was a positive choice as the poison that killed Hitler.
In a very unusual ruling, the court decided that the baby girl and her twin brother would get to be named by their older half siblings.
For those who have names they feel are outdated or that they’ve always despised, perhaps now they will consider themselves lucky.
