Did you know that, in the state of Ohio, it’s illegal to name your child “Santa Claus”? Or that, in France, you cannot name your child “Nutella”? While these may seem obvious—and pretty far-fetched—unusual baby names are becoming more and more of a hot topic online. Though most would never consider naming a child something so absurd, there are some parents who did not get the memo. This is when banned baby names come into play.
Illegal baby names vary widely from state to state and country to country. Though the rules are not always so straightforward, we are here to provide a guided breakdown of which banned baby names to avoid and why when naming your child. Read on to learn more about why some baby names are banned, baby name laws around the world, and more!
Why are some baby names banned?
Banned baby names vary from place to place, but the reasoning for the bans usually rests on a couple central principles: protection of the child from name-related embarrassment or harassment and orderly record-keeping for computer systems.
Many countries—including some areas of the United States—have banned numbers, emojis, pictographs, and other non-letter symbols because they are both hard to pronounce and difficult to input into computer systems. Some states, such as Massachusetts, have banned non-English letters from legal names for this very reason. In other states, apostrophes and hyphens have been banned.
Of course, some baby names have been banned simply because they are harmful to the child, profane, or embarrassing. This is very uncommon in the United States, however, because of First Amendment protections for parents. Most courts prioritize the parent’s right to name the child. But, there are some notable illegal baby names across the United States and elsewhere, for example:
- “Male” and “Female” are banned in New Mexico
- “Void” is banned in Arkansas
- “Adolf Hitler” is banned in Germany and many other countries (understandably)
- “Thor” is banned in Portugal
- “Strawberry” is banned in France
- “President” is banned in Australia
- “Monkey” is banned in Denmark (I know, another shocking one)
While parents are permitted to get creative in naming their children, it is easy to see how some names could be perceived as harmful to the child.
Banned baby names in the United States
There are no federal laws regarding naming in the United States, nor is there a universal list of banned baby names. Due to the First Amendment’s free speech protections, the states are left to decide what names they deem appropriate. Most remain very lax in their naming regulations. Nevertheless, we’ve curated a comprehensive list of each state’s banned baby names, as well as other naming stipulations parents should keep in mind.
State by state banned baby name guide
Alabama: No specific names are banned. However, parents may not include any numbers or symbols in their child’s name, nor any letters that are not from the English alphabet.
Alaska: No specific names are banned, and most special characters are allowed, except for some foreign letters that are not able to be input into computers.
Arizona: According to Arizona naming law, there is a 141-character limit: 45 for the first name, 45 for the middle name, 45 for the last name, and six for a suffix. Other than that, parents have creative freedom to name their child as they please.
Arkansas: No consecutive apostrophes, hyphens, or spaces. As for banned names in Arkansas, “Baby,” “Babyboy,” “Babygirl,” “Baby Boy,” “Baby Girl,” “Infant,” “Test,” “Unk,” and “Void” are considered invalid.
California: Derogatory and obscene names are banned, though this leaves some room for interpretation. Only the English alphabet is allowed, and pictographs such as emoticons have been banned.
Colorado: There are no limits on the length of the name, but it must be able to be spelled using a standard keyboard, meaning no foreign characters or pictographs.
Connecticut: You may choose any name as long as it’s “not for fraudulent or nefarious purposes and does not infringe on the rights of another person,” according to Connecticut state law. It must also use only English characters.
Delaware: Most names are permitted so long as they are not considered obscene or misleading.
Florida: There are no explicit bans in the state of Florida. However, if parents are unable to agree on a name, none can be listed on a Florida birth certificate until both parents sign off or a court assigns a name.
Georgia: All symbols are off limits, including accent marks.
Hawaii: No limitations, including on symbols, though each symbol must be accompanied by at least one letter.
Idaho: Only letters are permitted. No symbols or special characters.
Illinois: There are no restrictions, with recent computer updates allowing for inclusion of all numbers and symbols.
Indiana: There are no explicit bans. However, if the mother is unmarried at birth, the baby automatically gets the mother’s surname unless there is an affidavit proving paternity.
Iowa: No restrictions.
Kansas: No limitations besides a ban on symbols. Accent marks, however, are allowed.
Kentucky: Naming law is very lax. Special characters and numbers are even permitted.
Louisiana: Obscenities are banned, as well as the use of diacritical marks—sorry, André.
Maine: There are no legal bans or restrictions.
Maryland: There are no banned names; however, names may be rejected by the courts if they are vulgar, obscene, or sexually suggestive.
Massachusetts: Only English characters are allowed. Other than that, parents are free to get as wild as they would like with first and middle names.
Michigan: The state requires only English characters as well.
Minnesota: All special characters, including numbers, are banned in Minnesota. Apostrophes and hyphens are the only permitted punctuation. First, middle, and last names are limited to 50 letters each. One parent tried to name their child “1069” but was rejected by the courts.
Mississippi: No restrictions.
Missouri: There is no list of banned names, though there are warnings against using obscenities or vulgar language.
Montana: No restrictions. However, if a special character is used, the parents must gain approval from the state in order to make sure it can be input into the computer system.
Nebraska: Names that are obscene or imply abbreviations are not permitted.
Nevada: No outlined restrictions, though courts have challenged unusual names in the past, so tread with caution.
New Hampshire: All names must be within 100 characters total.
New Jersey: Numbers and symbols are allowed, but obscenities are not. Again, this does leave some room for parents to test their limits.
New Mexico: “Baby Boy,” “Baby Girl,” “Male,” and “Female” are banned names in New Mexico, so if those were on your list, I’d make some adjustments. Special characters are also banned.
New York: First and middle names have a 30-character limit. Numbers and symbols are also a no-no.
North Carolina: No restrictions.
North Dakota: Parents in North Dakota can get (almost) as creative as they want to, but special characters are still banned. Names that include numbers have also been rejected by courts in the past.
Ohio: Permitted punctuation includes hyphens, apostrophes, and spaces. Only English letters are allowed, not numbers. “Santa Claus” is outright banned.
Oklahoma: There are no outright bans, but all letters must be from the English alphabet.
Oregon: There are no bans! In fact, Oregon’s computer system can handle up to 40 special characters, so parents have license to get very creative, if they wish.
Pennsylvania: There are no outright banned names, though both parents must agree on the name in order for it to be listed on the Pennsylvania birth certificate.
Rhode Island: Diacritical marks cannot be used on a birth certificate but are permitted on other documents.
South Carolina: Have a dream to name your child “M1”? How about “M!ke”? In South Carolina, there’s nothing stopping you. Numbers and symbols are allowed.
South Dakota: Spaces, hyphens, and apostrophes are permitted, but no other punctuation or special characters may be used.
Tennessee: A judge made headlines in Tennessee for trying to ban a couple from using the name “Messiah,” but the parents won out. Currently, there is no law regarding first names in Tennessee.
Texas: Special characters, numbers, and diacritical marks are not permitted. So “John Smith III” is golden, but not “John Smith the 3rd.”
Utah: No restrictions, though they do warn that using characters not found on a standard keyboard could become a headache when applying for a birth certificate.
Vermont: The state has little to say about naming law, though they do recommend against using trademarked names such as companies or products.
Virginia: No restrictions! Numbers and symbols are all on the table.
Washington: Restricted to 30 characters for the first name and 50 characters for the last. Other than length limitations, Washington has no naming rules.
West Virginia: Like many other states, numbers, symbols, and non-English letters are banned.
Wisconsin: Special characters and numbers are permitted, though numbers must be spelled out. Think “Two” and not “2.”
Wyoming: Besides a ban on foreign letters, there are no restrictions.
Banned baby names around the world
Unlike the United States, other countries have growing and often controversial lists of illegal baby names. Some countries, like Denmark and Iceland, have pre-approved lists of baby names that parents must choose from. In order to select a name that is not on the list, they must get special approval. Other countries, like Saudi Arabia and Portugal, ban names that are considered contradictory to local culture or religion. Here are some notable illegal baby names from around the world:
Australia
Names must not be offensive, contain swear words or slurs, or reference any kind of formal rank or position. Banned names in Australia include “Duke,” “President,” “Smelly,” and “Spinach.”
China
Regulations on Chinese names primarily revolve around the structure of a given name, with surname preceding first name. Outright bans are typically politically and religiously charged, with “Quran”, “Jihad,” and “Islam” among the banned names in China.
France
Names must be in the French language and “in the best interest of the child.” In accordance with these rules, “Nutella,” “Strawberry,” and “Mini Cooper” have been added to the banned baby name list in France.
Germany
No product names, place names, or family names may be used in place of a first name. Names must also be gender-specific. Banned baby names in Germany include “Osama Bin Laden”, “Adolf Hitler,” “Lucifer,” “Satan,” and “Judas.”
Japan
Restrictions are placed on unusual pronunciations and well-known characters. Banned names in Japan include “Pikachu”, “Nike,” “Lovely,” and “Kitty.”
Italy
Italy has some more strict naming laws. For example, parents can’t use surname baby names—a popular practice in the U.S. Specific names banned by the country have also included “Blue” and “Friday.”
New Zealand
In New Zealand, names must not be offensive, resemble a title or rank without adequate justification, be unreasonably long, or include numbers or symbols. As of 2024, New Zealand has 71 banned baby names, including “Prince,” “Crown,” “Queen,” “Lucifer,” and “Anal” (shocking, I know).
Portugal
Like Italy, Portugal restricts some naming practices that are common in the U.S., including using a nickname as a first name. For example, “Tom” is banned in Portugal, while “Tomás” is OK.
Saudi Arabia
Any name that means “royalty” is not allowed in Saudi Arabia, including “Prince (Amir) and King (Malek).”
FAQs about banned baby names
Can you name your baby anything?
The United States has lax baby-naming laws compared to the international standard, but there are still restrictions, such as limitations on numbers, special characters, length, and non-English characters. Racial slurs and sexually-suggestive names are also banned in many states. In other words, parents get a lot of creative freedom in naming their children, but there are still minor stipulations to consider.
What happens if a baby name is rejected?
If a chosen baby name is rejected, parents can either select a new name or appeal the state. The judge will then have the ultimate decision regarding the name, taking into consideration both parental rights and state naming laws.
Are there baby names banned everywhere?
Each region’s naming regulations vary depending on their free speech laws, but most countries have at least a handful of banned baby names.
In the United States, there are no federal laws regarding naming, but some states ban certain names that are considered embarrassing or inappropriate, such as “Female,” “Santa Claus,” and “King.” Internationally, individual countries elect their own naming laws, but some names—such as “Adolf Hitler,” “Aryan,” or “Osama Bin Laden”—are illegal in many countries and for obvious reasons.
Rebecca Smith, Editorial Intern
As editorial intern, Rebecca works with The Everymom team on updating existing content, photo sourcing, pitching original articles, and more. She’s passionate about creating authentic and diverse online content, and is thrilled to help women of all ages feel represented by contributing to The Everymom.
