Banned Names

Most people have heard at least one story about a baby name being denied. So what are the actual rules around this? Well, it depends on what country you are in. Explore here some examples of baby naming laws in different countries.

Canada

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.

Alberta

All names must begin with a letter and may contain non-consecutive hyphens, apostrophes and periods. They must use the standard 26-letter English alphabet.

Greek letters, Inuit letters, Arabic script or Kanji are not acceptable.

Pictograms, codes, hieroglyphics, numbers, symbols, slashes, commas and more are banned.

A requested name may be denied if it is confusing, embarrassing to any other person, misleading or defrauding the public or, in general is determined to be:

• offensive on any other grounds

British Columbia

Names must use Latin alphabetic letters and can contain apostrophes, hyphens, a period and a standard set of French accents. However, numbers, brackets, slashes and other symbols are not accepted.

Ontario

With Toronto holding the record of most multicultural city in the world with a population of approx. 2.8 Million people from several different cultures, the Government of Ontario places trust in the hands of the parents to choose a name that is in the child’s best interest. The only restrictions are that names cannot contain numbers or symbols.

Quebec

You can choose one or several first names (“first names” includes middle names), but your child cannot have more than four first names.

You must also specify in the declaration of birth the name you intend for your child to regularly use. This will be their “usual given name”.

If one of the first names is a compound name (a name joined by a hyphen), you must insert a hyphen between the two names. If not, the two names will be considered two distinct names.

If you gave your child any name that is unusual or that might cause your child to be ridiculed or not taken seriously, the Directeur might ask you to choose a less controversial name.

If you refuse to change the chosen name(s), the matter could wind up in court where a judge will make a final decision.

United States

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

United Kingdom

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

Australia

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).

There are 46 names that have been officially banned in Australia since they violate one of the categories.

1. Admiral
2. Anzac
3. Australia
4. Baron
5. Bishop
6. Brigadier
7. Brother
8. Cadet
9. Captain
10. Chief
11. Christ
12. Commodore
13. Constable
14. Corporal
15. Dame
16. Duke
17. Emperor
18. Father
19. General
20. God
21. Honour
22. Judge
23. Justice
24. King
25. Lady
26. Lieutenant
27. Lord
28. Madam
29. Majesty
30. Major
31. Messiah
32. Minister
33. Mister
34. Officer
35. Premier
36. President
37. Prime Minister
38. Prince
39. Princess
40. Queen
41. Saint
42. Satan
43. Seaman
44. Sergeant
45. Sir
46. Sister

Iceland

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.

Japan

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.

Mexico

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”.

List of banned names in Senora:

Aceituno
All Power
Anivdelarev
Aguinaldo
Batman
Benefecia
Burger King
Caraciola
Caralampio
Cheyenne
Christmas Day
Cacerolo
Cesárea
Circuncisión
Culebro
Delgadina
Diodoro
Email
Escroto
Espinacia
Facebook
Fulanito
Gordonia
Gorgonio
Harry Potter
Hermione
Hitler
Hurraca
Iluminada
Indio
James Bond
Lady Di
Marciana
Masiosare
Micheline
Patrocinio
Panuncio
Petronilo
Piritipio
Privado
Pocahontas
Procopio
Pomponio
Rambo
Robocop
Rocky
Rolling Stone
Terminator
Sonora querida
Sobeida
Telesforo
Tránsito
Tremebundo
Twitter
Usnavy
Virgen
Verulo
Yahoo
Zoila Rosa

Saudi Arabia

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.

Resources

Restrictions respecting personal names | Alberta.ca
Birth Registration - Province of British Columbia
Choosing Your Child’s Name | Éducaloi
USBirthCertificates.com
What Names Are Banned in the UK
Naming restrictions | bdm.vic.gov.au
Icelandic Approved Names - Nordic Names
85 Illegal Or Banned Baby Names From Around The World
What countries limit names?
Baby Names Banned In Mexico: Facebook, Harry Potter, Terminator Make List Of Prohibited Names In Sonora