Banned Baby Names That Might Surprise You

Names are a funny thing. What's acceptable in one country is banned in another, so check out these illegal baby names that are unexpected.

Naming a baby is a tough decision without having to worry about breaking the law. If you’re considering an unconventional name, however, there’s a possibility your name of choice might be banned.

Even some seemingly ordinary names are banned in certain countries. Keep reading to discover why these 30 illegal baby names are off-limits.

Akuma

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Where it’s banned: Japan

Akuma sounds like a sweet name, but in Japanese, it means devil. It wasn’t illegal until the 1990s when a couple named their baby girl Akuma. While the Justice Minister ruled that forcing the parents to change their child’s name was wrong, the name eventually became illegal in Japan.

Ambre

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Where it’s banned: France

The reason behind Ambre’s banishment is completely outdated. Ambre, the French version of Amber, was banned after parents selected the name for their son.

French officials claimed that choosing a traditionally feminine name for a boy would confuse the child. They took similar issue with another family who tried to name a baby girl Liam.

Blu

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Where it’s banned: Italy

What’s wrong with naming a child after a color? Beyoncé did it, but she might not have been able to if she lived in Italy. One couple from Milan wanted to name their daughter Blu, but in Italy, names are required to correspond with their sex at birth. Since Blu is a unisex name, it’s considered illegal.

Camilla

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Where it’s banned: Iceland

Iceland is pretty over the top when it comes to illegal baby names. Iceland forbids any names that can’t be spelled using the Icelandic alphabet. The Icelandic alphabet doesn’t include the letter C, so Camilla is a non-starter.

Chanel

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Where it’s banned: Switzerland

Don’t move to Switzerland if you plan on naming your baby Tesla or Mercedes. All brand names are illegal as baby names, so Chanel, Versace and any other trendy brand names are out.

Diamond

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Where it’s banned: Hungary

In Hungary, there’s a running list of acceptable baby names. Every month, citizens submit new name requests, and only around 10 are accepted per month. One couple requested the name Gyémi, which is the Hungarian word for diamond, but the request was denied. Strangely, Bentli and Zev were both accepted.

Fraise

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Where it’s banned: France

Fraise, the French word for strawberry, sounds completely harmless. When one couple tried to select it as a baby name, however, the French courts were concerned that it would lead to teasing.

The word itself isn’t the problem. The court feared its association with the phrase “ramène ta fraise,” which means “get your butt over here,” would be a problem. The parents improvised, naming their daughter “Fraisine” instead.

Friday

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Where it’s banned: Italy

In the U.S., naming a baby Wednesday isn’t that crazy. It’s unique, but Wednesday Addams made it cool. Italians seem to disagree.

Parents there named their son Venerdi, the Italian word for Friday, but the courts intervened, stating that it was “ridiculous or shameful” and had to be changed. They suggested the boy be named Gregario instead, after a saint.

Gesher

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Where it’s banned: Norway

Norway is extra picky about name regulations. One mom selected the name Gesher, the Hebrew word for bridge, for her little boy. She was given the option of changing the name, paying a $210 fine or spending a couple of nights in jail. Since the name came to her in a dream, she opted to keep it and did her time.

Harriet

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Where it’s banned: Iceland

We already noted that Iceland is a bit over the top when it comes to names. In fact, there’s a National Register of Persons that lists acceptable names. Any names not on the list require government approval, and each name must meet a specific criteria.

All names must be able to adapt to the Icelandic language’s grammar, and since Harriet can’t be conjugated in Icelandic, it was denied.

Hermione

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Where it’s banned: Mexico

The Mexican state of Sonora doesn’t like when parents get their baby-naming inspiration from pop culture. Ron, Harry and Hermione are all banned thanks to their association with the Harry Potter series.

Ikea

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Where it’s banned: Sweden

As much as we hate their less than helpful instructions, everyone loves IKEA. However, in Sweden, the country where IKEA was founded, it’s illegal to name your baby after the popular furniture store. Why would anyone want to name their baby after cheap bed frames, anyway?

Ivory

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Where it’s banned: Quebec, Canada

Ivory seems like a perfectly nice name, but in the 1990s, Quebec officials ordered a couple to change their child’s name because of its association with the Ivory soap brand. The parents appealed the request in court and were allowed to use the name after all.

J

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Where it’s banned: Switzerland

In Switzerland, single-letter names are considered too short to use. One couple wanted to use it to honor two of their grandparents whose names both started with J. The Swiss court asked them to change it to Jo as a compromise.

Judas

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Where it’s banned: Switzerland

In Switzerland, the name Judas was considered potentially harmful to children thanks to its association with the biblical character who betrayed Jesus. What happened to the separation of church and state, hmm?

Linda

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Where it’s banned: Saudi Arabia

In some parts of the world, names can be illegal just for being associated with Western culture. Many of the names seem very ordinary in the states, including the innocuous Linda.

Lucifer

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Where it’s banned: Germany

Similar to Switzerland’s ban of the name Judas, Germany banned the use of the name Lucifer. Parents there argued that the word was actually Latin for “light-bringing,” but German officials remained unconvinced, calling the name inappropriate.

Messi

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Where it’s banned: Argentina

Barcelona’s star player Lionel Messi was born in Rosario, Argentina. Believe it or not, so many parents there named their babies Messi that the name became to common in the region, so the town banned its future use.

Metallica

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Where it’s banned: Sweden

A little girl in Sweden almost got away with this epic, heavy-metal name. She was baptized under the name Metallica, but Swedish tax officials caught wind of it and forced her parents to change it.

Nirvana

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Where it’s banned: Portugal

Portugal is ultra picky when it comes to baby names, too. The small country has no less than 80 pages of legislation dedicated to which baby names are acceptable. About 2,000 different names are banned, including the name Nirvana.

We’re not sure if the association with the band Nirvana was the issue or the connection with Buddhism, but it seems silly either way.

Nutella

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Where it’s banned: France

Love chocolate? Sadly, Nutella isn’t a name option if you live in France. As sweet as the chocolatey spread may be, one French judge ruled that naming a child Nutella would result in mockery. Instead, it was shortened to the more traditional “Ella.”

Robocop

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Where it’s banned: Mexico

The Mexican state of Sonora makes the list again, but this illegal baby name makes sense. Someone actually named their child Robocop before state officials found it on the registry and added it to the list of banned names. In other words, there’s a kid out there somewhere still named Robocop.

Saint

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Where it’s banned: New Zealand

Saint, the name Kim Kardashian and Kanye West selected for their second baby, is a no no in New Zealand. There, names that sound like official titles are off-limits. Someone tried naming their child Saint anyway in 2019, but to no avail. Prince, King and Royal are also banned.

Sarah

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Where it’s banned: Morocco

In Morocco, naming a child is trickier than in the United States. Parents there can select a name from a list of approved names that match up with “Moroccan identity.” Because Sarah is considered to be the Hebrew spelling of the name, it’s illegal. Sara, the Arabic version, is an acceptable alternative.

Schmitz

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Where it’s banned: Germany

In the U.S., it’s totally fine to use a last name as a first name. Think Harrison, Jackson and Lincoln. In Germany, last names as first names are frowned upon. The name Schmitz was rejected, but officials are more lenient with less common surnames.

Snake

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Where it’s banned: Malaysia

We’re not quite sure why anyone would name their child Snake, but Malaysia banned it just in case. Technically, the country banned the name Ah Chwar, which translates to snake, plus a long list of other names. Sor Chai (insane) and Chow Tow (smelly head) were also banned.

Talula Does the Hula From Hawaii

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Where it’s banned: New Zealand

Talula is probably OK, but Talula Does the Hula From Hawaii? Not so much. A girl carried this name for nine whole years before the New Zealand court took guardianship of her to select a name less likely to result in bullying.

Thor

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Where it’s banned: Portugal

As mentioned before, Portugal is awfully particular about what names parents are permitted to choose for their offspring. In addition to Nirvana, Portugal also made the names Thor and Paris illegal. Guess they’re not fans of Marvel or the City of Lights?

Tom

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Where it’s banned: Portugal

Another rule Portugal has about baby names is that alternate spellings aren’t allowed. Neither are nicknames as first names. If you’d like to call your baby Tom, his full first name has to be Tomás. This rule also means that many of the names popular in the U.S. would be off limits in Portugal, like Braeden and Landyn.

Violet

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Where it’s banned: Malaysia

Malaysia isn’t a fan of nature-inspired baby names. Animal names are off-limits, as are floral names, which means Violet, Rose and Lily are all banned.