Baby names: 116 ILLEGAL names you need to be aware of

Did you know that some baby names are illegal? Bad news for any little Princesses out there…

illegal baby names

by Kayleigh Dray |
Updated on

When choosing your baby’s name there is a lot of pressure - they’ll have this name for their entire life.

While some celebrities have opted for unusual moniker such as North West, Apple Martin and Harper Seven Beckham, there are some normal folks like the rest of us who have gone one step too far and ended up giving their little one an illegal baby name.

Back in 2016, a British mother was banned from naming her baby Cyanide.

Yes, as in the poison.

Baby frowning illegal baby names
©Shutterstock

Despite this case making headlines, it’s worth pointing out that the UK has very few restrictions in place when it comes to what parents can or cannot name their children.

In fact, the only rule is that a name might not be registered in exceptional cases, when the chosen name could be considered 'offensive' - or harmful to the child.

But, even so, this can still be appealed against.

illegal baby names
©Getty Images

In other countries across the world, things can be a LOT stricter - particularly in New Zealand, where some baby names are genuinely illegal.

Mums and dads are, essentially, banned from choosing names with royal, religious, or offensive connotations - or any name that resembles an official rank or title.

No surprise, then, that the likes of ‘Messiah’ and ‘King’ were big no-no options back in 2015.

And it’s worth pointing out that parents who tried to get around the rules by getting funky with their spellings (Royaal and Royahl - ha!) also wound up on the reject list.

So we've decided to round up the illegal baby names from around the world...

Gallery

CLOSER ONLINE illegal baby names

Banned baby names in the UK1 of 15
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Illegal baby names in the UK

According to Mom Junction these names are banned in the UK:1) Martian2) Monkey3) Chow Tow (which means 'Smelly Head')4) Rogue5) Akuma (in Japanese it mean 'Devil'

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Illegal baby names in France

Over in France parents are banned from naming their children:1) Nutella (yup, just like the chocolate)2) MJ3) Manhattan4) Joyeux (which means 'happy' in English)5) Deamon6) Prince William7) Mini Cooper (we can't quite believe this one)

Banned baby names in Germany3 of 15
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Illegal baby names in Germany

  1. Matti2) Kohl3) Stompie4) Osama Bin Laden5) Adolf HitlerAlso in Germany you are only allowed to give your child a gender neutral name if you make it double barrel and the second moniker is gender specific.
Banned baby names in Australia4 of 15
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Illegal baby names in Australia

Some of the names that have been banned in Australia are certainly questionable...1) Ikea2) Ranga3) LOL4) Batman5) Snort6) Hitler7) Spinach8) Christ9) Dame10) God11) Satan12) Brother13) Sir14) Prime Minister15) General

Banned baby names in Switzerland5 of 15
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Illegal baby names in Switzerland

  1. Mercedes2) Schmid3) Paris4) Chanel5) Judas6) Lucifer
Banned baby names in Iceland6 of 15
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Illegal baby names in Iceland

Here's a fun fact about the Icelandic alphabet it doesn't include the letters C, Q, W or Z which makes any name with those character banned.1) Duncan2) Zoe3) Enrique4) Ludwig5) Camilla6) Harriet

Banned baby names in Portugal7 of 15
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Illegal baby names in Portugal

Judging by just a few of the banned names in Portugal it's safe to say they're not fond of names used by the royal family...1) William2) Catherine3) George4) Charlotte5) Tom6) Michael7) Emily8) Bruce9) Jenny10) Nirvana11) Rihanna12) Jimmy13) Viking

Banned baby names in America8 of 15
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Illegal baby names in America

Similar to the banned baby names in Portugal, in America they're not too fond of royal type names, so...1) King2) Queen3) Majesty4) Master5) Judge6) Duke

Banned baby names in Denmark9 of 15
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Illegal baby names in Denmark

If you're naming your baby in Denmark you'll most likely know someone with the same name because the country has a pre-approved list of names that you can pick from. Not only that but if you want a name not on the list, you'll have to get permission from Copenhagen University's Names Investigation Department and at the Ministry of Ecclesiastical Affairs.Wowza!A few names illegal in the country are:1) Anus2) Monkey3) Pluto4) Ashleiy5) Jakobp

Banned baby names in Hungary10 of 15
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Illegal baby names in Hungary

  1. Stephan (but you can give them the name Stefán)
Banned baby names in Saudi Arabia11 of 15
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Illegal baby names in Saudi Arabia

Some of the names banned in Saudi Arabia include: 1) Malak2) Malika3) Nardeen4) Maya5) Linda6) Alice7) Eleen8) Arm9) Lauren

Banned baby names in Mexico12 of 15
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Illegal baby names in Mexico

  1. Facebook2) Batman3) Hermione4) Rambo5) Terminator6) James Bond7) Rolling Stone8) Rocky9) Hitler10) Christmas Day11) Burger King
Banned baby names in New Zealand13 of 15
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Illegal baby names in New Zealand

In 2015 these were the top 27 names rejected in 2015, which means people tried to name their children with these monikers...1) Messiah2) King3) Royal4) Prince5) Royale6) Bishop7) Empress8) Princess9) / (symbol in the name)

Banned baby names in New Zealand14 of 15
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Illegal baby names in New Zealand

  1. () a name in brackets11) Chief12) Christ13) Commodore14) Impryss15) Justice16) Justyce17) Knight18) Lord19) MMMR
Banned baby names in New Zealand15 of 15
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Illegal baby names in New Zealand

  1. Queen21) Regal22) Rogue23) Royaal24) Royahl25) Sarjant26) Sir 27) Suprintendent

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That’s a pretty bizarre list, isn’t it?

It’s lucky Katie Price and Peter Andre were living in the UK when they welcomed their daughter, otherwise Princess wouldn’t have her unusual name. Thinking about it neither would Beyonce's son Sir or Blac Chyna's son King Cairo...

Do you think some baby names should be made illegal in the UK - or do you think parents should have the freedom to name their children whatever they want? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter.

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