60 Baby Names Banned In Other Countries That Are Popular In The U.S.

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In the United States, you are allowed to name your children whatever you want. In a good way, but to be honest, usually in a bad way too. However, in many countries this is not the case. Some countries declare “embarrassing names” to be completely illegal, while others publish a list of veto names each year. In any case, these are baby names that are popular in the United States and banned in other countries.

If you’re having a baby in the United States, naming conventions vary by state, but generally boil down to a few key points: no numbers in the name, no consecutive hyphens or apostrophes (D’Angelo is fine, D”Angelo is not). Some states allow accent marks, others don’t, and in Florida, parents must agree on a first name or the court will choose. However, in many other countries, the rules are a bit more subjective. And interestingly, some baby name choices that are popular here in the U.S. aren’t allowed overseas.

new zealand

as scary mom It was previously reported that New Zealand will reject certain names under the Births, Deaths, Marriages and Relationships Registration Act 2021. “Names should not be offensive, should not resemble a title or rank, should not be ‘unreasonably long’, and should not contain numbers or symbols,” explains author Jamie Kenny. “Community perception, spelling and pronunciation, and parents’ reasons for the name are also taken into account.”

These names, which are among the top 1,000 most popular in the US in 2024 (according to Social Security Administration data), will definitely get a big veto in New Zealand.

king
duke
prince
saint
royal
savior
Selection subject
Kaiser

Sweden

The BBC also reported that in Sweden it is not possible to give a baby a name that is not clearly a name. They deny options like Veranda and Metallica (although Metallica’s parents reportedly won in court). This is a fairly subjective rule. Popular names like Hazel and Dylan refer to things in nature, but they are clearly still names today. However, I spy some names in the popularity rankings that the Swedish authorities might give pause to.

treasure
promise
faithful
Truce
legend
chosen
Seven
violent
cannon
true/true

france and japan

The French Registrar reserves the right to refuse a baby’s name if it may be contrary to the child’s best interests. Basically, potentially embarrassing names are not allowed. According to the BBC, a French family tried to name their child Nutella in 2015, but were told, “Hmm, no.” And in Japan, a family who tried to name their child Akuma, which means “devil,” lost a legal battle, with the court arguing that the name could lead to discrimination against the child.

Here are some names on the US charts in 2024 that might not hack the charts in either country (yes, I swear the last two are real).

Asriel (meaning “angel of death”)
Juru (Is that the correct spelling for Drew?)
Jream (Stick to the Dream)

Malaysia

In Malaysia, names that refer to colors, animals, natural objects or events are not allowed. culture atlas. (Disclaimer: There seems to be some debate online about what is on Malaysia’s list of prohibited naming conventions.) So please remove these from the American list.

gray
violet
bear
wren
griffin
Colt
birdie
Raven
Jay
phoenix
sol
pearl
sea
sky
willow
briar
laurel
Nova
river
iris
juniper
olive
lily
aspen
winter

Germany

Many of the major baby name trends in the US would never pass in Germany. There, you cannot give your baby a brand name or use a common surname as a name. business insider. And until 2008, if you wanted to choose a gender-neutral name, you (therefore) had to add a middle name that was considered masculine or feminine as your second name. Rules and attitudes around this have reportedly softened, says writer Naomi Kay Honova. business insiderHowever, gender-neutral names are still not common. This rejects all these popular gemstones within the United States.