Compared to many older countries, Canada has more relaxed naming restrictions. Although Canada does not have an official list of illegal baby names, some provinces can deny a name if it is deemed inappropriate, or not in line with preserving the dignity of a personal name..

Below are the provinces that have name requirements publicly outlined.

Like Canada, The United States holds a more liberal position on baby names than other countries. However, unlike Canada, the US does have a list of prohibited baby names.

The following names have been ruled illegal by courts in the U.S:

• King
• Queen
• Jesus Christ
• III
• Santa Claus
• Majesty
• Adolf Hitler
• Messiah
• @
• 1069

In the UK, birth certificate applications can be denied if the name:

• Contains offensive language or obscenity.
• Include symbols, numbers, or punctuation marks that are not standard characters.
• Are excessively long or difficult to pronounce.
• Are likely to cause confusion or misrepresentation.
• Are deemed inappropriate or contrary to public policy.

Name applications that have been denied in the UK are:

• “Cyanide” – Rejected for its association with a deadly poison.
• “Martian” – Rejected as it may subject the child to ridicule.
• “King” – Rejected to prevent confusion with official titles.
• “Princess” – Rejected for its misleading implications

The Australian Government holds a slightly stricter position with applications for birth registrations.

There are categories of names that are prohibited under the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1996 (the Act).

These three categories are names that are:

1. Is obscene or offensive (such as swear words, or slurs).

2. Can’t be established by repute or usage (names that exceed 38 letters for the given name and/or 38 letters for the surname, contain special characters, or acronyms).

3. Is contrary to the public interest (names that contain Royal, political, military or religious titles, or names that reflect company names).

Older countries tend to have less personal freedom in choosing baby names. In Iceland for example, parents cannot create a new name or even choose any existing name they want. Only names that are listed on the Personal Names Register of Iceland are permitted. Like in Portugal, Denmark and some other countries, Icelandic birth certificates will only be issues if the name is chosen from this pre-approved baby name list.

As one of the oldest countries in the world, Japan also holds strong regulations around names. One of the reasons is to prevent difficulties with gender identification. These restrictions are based on the Japanese writing system and it's need for consistency on documents and the country's records. The three writing systems in Japanese are kanji, hiragana, and katakana and all baby names must fall into one of these systems so they can be easily read, pronounced, and understood in Japan. One's name exists in the opposite order of the West and Europe. The Family name (Surname) is written or spoken first and then the individual's given name. This is to ensure that familial significance is given the prominence it deserves.

In Senora, Mexico, article 46 of the civil registry states that it prohibits minors to be registered under names that are “pejorative, discriminatory, shameful, degrading, lacking significance or constituting of signs or initials”.

With Islam being the prominent religion in the Middle East, many countries there like Saudi Arabia have banned names that are too foreign or deviate from their rich tradition, history, and culture. Names that are either profane or non-Islamic cannot be bestowed upon new babies. Saudi Arabia also does not permit any names with a connection to royalty, such as names that translate to “King”, or “Queen”. With a culture so deeply rooted in Islam, Saudi Arabia and surrounding countries reject names that violate their faith such as names that translate to “Slave”, or “Prophet”. Here, parents also cannot name their babies after foreign leaders whose countries are either at war with, or have a negative relationship with Saudi Arabia. Elaine, Alice, Lareen, Eman and Amir are on the extensive list of over 70 names that are officially banned in Saudi Arabia.