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

In the U.S., we’re allowed to name our kids pretty much anything we want — for better and, if we’re being honest, usually for worse. But in many countries, that’s simply not the case. Some countries declare that “embarrassing names” are outright illegal, and others put out lists of vetoed names each year. In any case, these are some baby names that are banned in other countries that are popular in the U.S.

If you’re having your baby in America, the naming rules vary by state, but by and large, they all boil down to a few key points: no numerals in the name, and no hyphens or apostrophes back-to-back (D’Angelo is a go, D’’Angelo is not). Some states allow for accent marks while others don’t, and in Florida, both parents will need to agree on the first name or a court will select one for them. But in many other countries, the rules get a bit more subjective. And interestingly, some popular baby name picks here in the States wouldn’t be allowed overseas.

New Zealand

As Scary Mommy previously reported, the nation of New Zealand will deny certain names under The Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Act of 2021. “Names must not be offensive, resemble a title or rank, be “unreasonably long,” or include numbers or symbols,” and that includes apostrophes, writer Jamie Kenney explains. “Community perception, spelling and pronunciation, and parental reasoning for the name are also considered.”

These names in the top 1,000 most popular U.S. choices of 2024 (according to the Social Security Administration’s data) would definitely get a big ol’ veto in NZ:

• King
• Duke
• Prince
• Saint
• Royal
• Messiah
• Major
• Kaiser

Sweden

The BBC also reported that in Sweden, you can’t give your baby a name that is clearly not a name. They’ve denied choices like Veranda and Metallica (though Metallica’s parents reportedly won in court). This is a pretty subjective rule; some popular names like Hazel or Dylan refer to things in nature, but are obviously names now, too. But I spy a few names on our popularity charts that might give pause to Swedish authorities:

• Treasure
• Promise
• Loyal
• Truce
• Legend
• Chosen
• Seven
• Rowdy
• Cannon
• True/Tru

France & Japan

The French registrar reserves the right to deny a baby name if it might run counter to a child’s best interests — essentially, no potentially embarrassing names allowed. One French family attempted to name their child Nutella back in 2015 and was told “um, no,” according to the BBC. And in Japan, a family who wanted to name their child Akuma, meaning “devil,” lost that legal battle too, with courts saying it could lead to discrimination against the child.

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

• Azriel (it means “angel of death”)
• Jru (Is this a phonetic version of Drew?)
• Jream (Just stick with Dream.)

Malaysia

In Malaysia, you can’t use a name that represents a color, animal, or natural object or event, according to Culture Atlas. (Disclaimer: There seems to be some debate online about what’s on Malaysia’s banned naming rule list.) So, strike these off America’s list:

• Grey
• Violet
• Bear
• Wren
• Griffin
• Colt
• Birdie
• Raven
• Jay
• Phoenix
• Sol
• Pearl
• Ocean
• Sky
• Willow
• Briar
• Laurel
• Nova
• River
• Iris
• Juniper
• Olive
• Lily
• Aspen
• Winter

Germany

A lot of major U.S. baby name trends would simply never pass muster in Germany. There, you can’t name your baby after a brand or use a common surname as a first name, according to Business Insider. And until 2008, if you wanted to choose a gender-neutral name, you’d have to add a middle name that was deemed masculine or feminine (accordingly) as a second name. Rules and attitudes surrounding this have reportedly softened, says writer Naomi Kaye Honova for Business Insider, but gender-neutral names are still not the norm. That vetoes all these gems popular stateside:

• Dylan
• Robin
• Dior
• Remington
• Lennon
• Jones
• Brooks
• Collins
• Briggs
• Kennedy
• Jagger
• Nixon
• Elliott
• Emerson

Do you know of other countries with intense baby naming laws? Would your baby’s name have been allowed overseas?