CERTAIN ‘banned’ baby names have been rejected in the UK for being too extreme.
Parents mostly have freedom when deciding their newborns’ names – but there are some caveats.
Some ‘banned’ baby names have been rejected in the UK[/caption]
This decision making is for a very specific reason[/caption]
However, the UK Deed Poll Office has strict rules to prevent some names being registered.
It serves to protect children from potential subsequent ridicule or harm.
Some real rejected names include Cyanide, due to its connotations to poison
Another example is Martian, as a result of caution about ridicule.
Princess and King have also been refused due to being potentially mistaken for a title.
On their website, the UK Deed Poll Office states: “While we don’t have an official list of banned names, we assess applications on a case-by-case basis, and names that could cause a child harm or confusion will likely be rejected.”
Some countries have strict laws when naming babies – with parents having to choose from an approved list.
Earlier this year, the top baby names in England and Wales were announced.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed Muhammad once again took the top spot.
In 2024, over 5,721 boys were called Muhammad, with this specific spelling.
Meanwhile, the name Noah took place, with a total of 4,139 babies altogether.
Rounding out the top five boys; names were Oliver (3,492), Arthur (3,368) and Leo (3,324).
As well as this, the top 10 also included George, Luca, Theodore, Oscar and Archie.
On the girls’ side, Olivia again emerged as most popular with 2,761 babies receiving this name.
Baby names banned around the world
Depending on where you live in the world, there are some names you can’t give a newborn.
Hungary and Iceland, for instance, are just two of a number of countries where parents have to choose their baby names from an approved list.
In other countries, there are strict laws in place around names using traditional spellings.
Metallica – Swedish parents tried to give their daughter an ode to their favourite heavy metal band in 2007 – but officials disallowed this, deeming it inappropriate. However, after public outcry, authorities withdrew their objections, NME reported.
Tom – Parents having a baby in Portugal best to check out the list of approved names to choose from. Nicknames are not allowed as a full, formal name – so while Tomás is okay, Tom isn’t.
Nutella – A court in Valenciennes, France, decided in 2015 that a couple would not be allowed to name their daughter Nutella, Yahoo! previously reported.
Facebook – The state of Sonora in Mexico banned a couple from naming their baby Facebook in 2014 because they deemed it “derogatory, pejorative, discriminatory or lacking in meaning”, The Guardian reported at the time.
IKEA – Parents in Sweden wanting to name their children after the country’s Scandinavian-inspired superstore could face an obstacle with the country’s naming law, which was enacted in 1982, according to Mental Floss.
J – When a pair tried to pay tribute to their grandparents, Johanna and Josef, with the name J, the court in Switzerland suggested using Jo instead, Swiss Info reported.
Gesher – In 1998, a Norwegian woman landed in jail for two days when she failed to pay a fine for giving her son an “unapproved” name – Gesher, which is Hebrew for bridge, according to The Week.
Saint – Kim Kardashian and Kanye West chose this name for their son, but the ex-couple may have had less luck in New Zealand. In 2024, one set of parents had this name rejected by the naming officials within the government.
Daemon – In 2012, a French couple wanted to name their child after the character of Damon from the popular series The Vampire Diaries.
The pair added an ‘e’ to give it more French twist – but despite their best efforts, authorities banned it for sounding too demonic, as per Huffington Post.
However, after a court battle, the parents were allowed to keep the name.
Olivia has held the crown for the top-ranked baby girl name since 2016.
Second place also hadn’t changed, with 2,448 babies being called Amelia.
This was then followed by Lily (2,185),Isla (2,056) and Ivy (1,956) to complete the top five.
The top 10 also featured Florence, Freya, Poppy, Ava and Elsie.
Muhammad and Olivia are the long-standing top baby name choices[/caption]
