Ever met a person called Metallica, Facebook or Robocop? These are amongst some of the banned baby names last year. Here are 17 unusual banned baby names from around the world:
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Did you know that there is a master list of banned names – for example, the chosen name should not promote any racial or religious hate – and then regional rules as well, such as no names which ridicule government members? Some countries also have restrictions on name changes. Let’s take a look at some really unique name choices!
Banned Baby Names…Thankfully!
#1. @
A Chinese couple tried to name their child Wang @. The Chinese symbol is pronounced “ai-ta” which is similar to 爱他, “love him”.
#2. Facebook
The Mexican state of Sonora has banned quite a few names including technology names like Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo & Email. Further names banned by Sonora include:
#3. Harry Potter
Another of the names on the banned list by authorities in Sonora, Mexico along with Hermione. Moaning Myrtle and Luna Lovegood obviously made the cut as ok names!
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#4. Princess Di
Princess Di is another name banned in Sonora. You can call your daughter Diana just not with Princess in front.
#5. Terminator
Obviously there was a bit of a movie theme going on again in Sonora, Mexicao with Terminator as well as Robocop and James Bond also banned.
#6. Harriet
The Icelandic Naming Committee decides whether a new given name is acceptable. There’s also a list of 3,265 names that are approved, made up of 1,853 female and 1,712 male names.
Briton Tristan Cardew and Icelandic wife Kristin had to appeal a decision not to renew their 10-year-old daughter Harriet’s passport on the grounds that it does not recognise her first name. Since the registry does not recognise the name of Harriet’s 12-year-old brother Duncan either, the two children have until this year travelled on passports identifying them as Stúlka and Drengur Cardew: Girl and Boy Cardew.
Names containing letters that don’t officially exist in Iceland’s 32-letter alphabet are also out, including those with the letter C. So that’s Caroline, Cole, Christine, Christopher, etc gone.
#7. Megane
Article 57 of France’s Civil Code states: ‘when a name, or a combination of names, is considered contrary to the interests of the child, the civic officer shall promptly notify the prosecutor, who may refer the matter to the Family Court’. In 2000, a French family was prevented from calling their daughter Megane Renaud, as the court determined it sounded too much like the Renault Megane car.
#8. Linda
Earlier this year, Saudi Arabia released a list of names that were banned, including western names and names with with royal connotations like Prince. On the list are Linda, Elaine and Alice!
#9. Messiah
A Tennessee judge ordered the parents of a baby to change his first name from Messiah to Martin. The parents actually ended up in court as they couldn’t agree what the baby’s surname should be.
#10. Rose
In Malaysia, names of all animals, fruits and vegetables are banned. So no Violets, Roses, Ferns, Bears or Apples allowed.
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#11. Jackson
In Germany, you cannot have a surname as a first names or the name of an object or a product. Also, all names must be gender specific. Jacksons, Taylors or Lesleys are off the list.
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#12. Metallica
Meanwhile in Sweden, a couple named their daughter after the heavy metal band and had a passport application initially rejected by officials before it was appealed on the grounds that another Swedish woman had already been using Metallica as a middle name.
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Also in Sweden, parents wanted to name their child this unusual one (pronounced Albin) in protest of strict Swedish naming laws.
#12. Adolf Hitler
Before WWII, Adolf was a popular name in Germany. American Neo-Nazi Heath Campbell has children named Adolf, Eva Braun and JoyceLynn Aryan Nation.
#15. Sex Fruit
New Zealand banned a couple from naming their child Sex Fruit…
#16. Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii
A couple in New Zealand decided to rename their daughter Talula Does the Hula from Hawaii, and the 9 year old was put into court guardianship while the name change was arranged.
#17. Tom
And last but not least: nicknames are banned on birth certificates in Portugal. Tomás would be ok, but Tom is not allowed.
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What do you think of these banned baby names? Have you come across a really unusual name? Leave a comment below and let us know – we’d love to hear from you!