101 Hilarious Illegal Names: Shocking and Outlandish

Check out this wild list of illegal baby names from around the world.

Parents sometimes try to push the envelope when naming their kids. Governments occasionally step in to protect children from lifelong embarrassment. You will find everything from offensive words and royal titles to random punctuation marks on this list.

Some of these banned names make total sense. Other restrictions might leave you scratching your head. Keep reading to discover the most outrageous outlawed baby names, their backstories, and why authorities stepped in to say no.

101 Banned Baby Names

Here are the most shocking illegal baby names from around the globe:

1. #: No matter how trendy social media made the hashtag, it just is not an acceptable legal name.
2. *: You might want to choose Aster or Star instead of opting for a literal asterisk for your kid.
3. :): Emojis and pictographs are officially banned in California and several other American states.
4. ;: This is illegal because it is a symbol, but interestingly enough, Semicolon has been used as a spelled-out name.
5. 4Real: No kid is cool enough to pull off this name on a birth certificate.
6. 69: You cannot use numbers in most places, especially not potentially offensive ones.
7. Adolf: This name is considered highly inappropriate and restricted in various countries.
8. Akuma: Meaning “devil,” this name is strongly advised against by authorities in Japan.
9. Alexander Brian Alfred Percival Wulfric James Victor Christian David Lachlan Brown: The Victoria government website in Australia lists this as an example of an illegal name due to extreme length.
10. Allah: Rejected in New Zealand, this spiritual name crosses the line for government approval.
11. Anal: Officials banned this for being vulgar, with Amal or Anna serving as much cleaner alternatives.
12. Banker: This name is restricted if you live near Nevada, as the state blocks names related to financial institutions.
13. Batman: You cannot give away this superhero identity on official government documents.
14. Blu: This spelling was once outlawed for girls in Italy because it did not correspond with the biological sex of the child.
15. Bonehead: This is simply not a very nice insult to permanently give a baby.
16. Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116: Authorities banned this 43-character string in Sweden in 1991 (the parents claimed it was pronounced “Albin”).
17. Cannabis: This name takes inspiration from a plant whose legality remains highly controversial.
18. Charlotte: This name is allegedly forbidden in Portugal due to strict rules against foreign spellings.
19. Chief: This indicates a title of status, making it illegal in various countries to prevent fraud.
20. Chlamydia: This medical term raised eyebrows in the United Kingdom when a parent tried to use it for her daughter.
21. Chloë: Chloe is perfectly fine, but diacritical marks like the umlaut are forbidden in Texas and other parts of the United States.
22. Chow Tow: Meaning “smelly head,” this insulting name was banned after alleged usage in Malaysia.
23. Christ: This sits among the holiest of illegal baby names in heavily religious countries.
24. Christmas Day: This exact phrase is allegedly illegal for Mexican babies, so you should consider Holly or Nicholas instead.
25. Circumcision: Governments ban this medical procedure name in various countries for obvious reasons.
26. Colonel: Names that show military rank are banned globally to avoid misleading the public.
27. Covid: We highly advise against using this recent global virus name for your child.
28. Daddy: This is undeniably cute as a nickname, but it creates legal confusion as a given first name.
29. Devil: This creepy moniker is outlawed in several places for being offensive.
30. Dickhead: While Dick is a common traditional nickname, this variation is far too abusive for a birth certificate.
31. Doctor: You must complete many years of medical study to legally call yourself this title.
32. Duke of Edinburgh: Only the actual Duke of Edinburgh can call himself this without committing fraud.
33. Elvis: A Swedish court allegedly protested and blocked this famous rockstar name.
34. Emperor: This regal title is rejected globally, with Emprah serving as a banned alternative spelling.
35. Facebook: This massive social media brand is officially banned as a baby name in parts of Mexico.
36. Gesher: A mother served jail time for choosing this name (meaning “bridge” in Norwegian) after refusing to pay a fine.
37. God: This title is considered far too weighty and religiously sensitive to be used as a given name.
38. Haha: A child is highly likely to be laughed at with this onomatopoeia name.
39. Heaven-Princezz-Star: The New Zealand government rejected this overly complex hyphenated name in 2018.
40. Hello: Common phrases and salutations are strictly forbidden as given names in parts of Australia.
41. Hermione: This popular Harry Potter character name is allegedly banned in certain parts of Mexico.
42. Hitler: This infamous surname is banned in many countries around the globe for completely obvious reasons.
43. III: Along with standard Arabic numbers, Roman numeral names are also banned in most western countries.
44. Ikea: This massive furniture giant brand name is not an acceptable baby moniker in its home country of Sweden.
45. Isis: This pretty goddess name is now banned in various countries due to its modern terrorism links.
46. J: This single letter is among the most frequently rejected illegal names in New Zealand.
47. Jahstice: This spelling variant of Justice is banned in New Zealand, along with Jusdyce and Justyce.
48. Jesus Christ: Much like Christ, this full name is illegal in many places due to deep religious significance.
49. Jnr: Despite Junior being a common affectionate suffix, Jnr is banned due to a lack of phonetic significance.
50. Joyeux: This word is allegedly banned in France despite carrying the sweet meaning of “happy.”
51. Justice: New Zealand bans this word as a first name because it is actively used as an official title for judges.
52. Kiing: Adding an extra vowel will not help you bypass the laws, as this name is still illegal in various countries.
53. King: This word is illegal in countries such as New Zealand out of respect for actual royalty.
54. Kohl: Germany allegedly banned this political surname to prevent unwanted associations.
55. Lego: Naming your child after this famous building toy clashes directly with corporate trademark interests.
56. Linda: This sweet Western girl name is reportedly on the list of illegal names in the United Arab Emirates.
57. LOL: No birth can be funny enough to legally name your child “laugh out loud.”
58. Lucifer: This sounds cool at first glance, but it carries alarmingly devilish connotations that governments reject.
59. Mafia: Authorities banned this organized crime name due to obvious public interest and safety reasons.
60. Majestee-Honours: New Zealand rejected this hyphenated title name in 2018.
61. Major: This is another military title name that works much better for a pet dog than a human child.
62. Manchester United: Some favorite sports teams just do not work as legal given names.
63. Master: This is another formal title you cannot use as a first name to avoid societal confusion.
64. Medicare: You cannot reference public healthcare institutions with baby names in parts of Australia.
65. Messiah: This sits right at the top of the “most rejected” banned baby names list in New Zealand.
66. Miss: This prefix is among the illegal names in New Zealand, although Missy makes a cute and legal alternative.
67. Mommy: Much like Daddy, this name will surely cause familial confusion, especially in the United States.
68. Nutella: France banned this chocolatey brand name to protect the child from teasing (Ella makes a better alternative).
69. Passport: This word is illegal in parts of Australia because it references an official administrative process.
70. Patriste: Much like Joyeux, French authorities apparently denied this “not sad” name.
71. Prime Minister: This phrase is illegal in countries with parliamentary systems to avoid political confusion.
72. Prince William: No matter how much of a royalist you are, you cannot legally use this exact title and name combination.
73. Princess: Many countries will turn down this celebrity baby name because it acts as a royal title.
74. Queen: Along with King, you cannot use this regal monarch title as a given first name.
75. Queen Victoria: Victoria is a gorgeous regal name, but adding the Queen prefix just will not fly with the government.
76. RoboCop: The government decided no kid could live down being named after this sci-fi movie character.
77. Royal: This word is considered far too weighty and official in some countries, such as New Zealand.
78. Royale: This is another banned form of Royal, frequently rejected alongside Rhoyal and Royalty.
79. Royal’Tee: This was one of many royalty-themed banned names recorded in New Zealand in 2021.
80. Saint: This popular celebrity baby name is surprisingly often banned in countries with strict religious laws.
81. Sandy: Saudi Arabia apparently banned this name despite it being a very common Western nickname.
82. Sarah: Morocco allegedly banned this name due to its specific Hebrew spelling (Sara is considered perfectly fine).
83. Satan: This demonic name is virtually guaranteed to cause alarm and discomfort in any school system.
84. Scrotum: This is a generally unattractive anatomical name that governments quickly banned for vulgarity.
85. Sex Fruit: New Zealand allegedly rejected this incredibly gross and inappropriate choice.
86. Shithead: Several countries outright ban this insult due to heavy offense and extreme vulgarity.
87. Shrek: We highly advise against using this name after the famous pop culture movie ogre.
88. Sir: This formal title is illegal in various countries because it causes issues on official documents.
89. Sire: This medieval variant of Sir is also heavily outlawed across the globe.
90. Smelly: Names cannot be direct insults to the child, no matter how innocent or childlike they seem.
91. Sonic X: A Norwegian boy allegedly wrote to the king to request this specific name change, but he was ultimately unsuccessful.
92. Suprintendent: This hilariously misspelled title is a prime example of a banned name in New Zealand.
93. Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii: A judge ruled this phrase illegal after a high-profile New Zealand court case in 2008.
94. Thor: This Norse god name is not legal in Portugal, no matter how powerful it sounds.
95. ™: This is another highly illegal symbol; you should perhaps opt for just Mark instead of Trademark.
96. Venerdi: This translates to “Friday” in Italian, and Italy banned it for being too ridiculous.
97. William: This completely normal English regal option is another “foreign name” allegedly banned in Portugal.
98. Wolfeschlegelsteinhausenbergerdorffwelchevoralternwarengewissenhaftschaferswessenschafewarenwohlgepflegeundsorgfaltigkeitbeschutzenvonangreifendurchihrraubgierigfeindewelchevoralternzwolftausendjahresvorandieerscheinenvanderersteerdemenschderraumschiffgebrauchlichtalsseinursprungvonkraftgestartseinlangefahrthinzwischensternartigraumaufdersuchenachdiesternwelchegehabtbewohnbarplanetenkreisedrehensichundwohinderneurassevonverstandigmenschlichkeitkonntefortpflanzenundsicherfreuenanlebenslanglichfreudeundruhemitnichteinfurchtvorangreifenvonandererintelligentgeschopfsvonhinzwischensternartigraum: This is part of a Guinness World Record holder’s name; New York forbids names like this for being over 40 characters.
99. X Æ A-12: Elon Musk famously had to change his child’s name to X Æ A-Xii because California law did not allow standard numerals.
100. YOLO: Much like LOL, this outdated acronym works much better as a text message than a lifelong name.
101. Zoe: This is surprisingly illegal in Iceland because the letter Z does not exist in the traditional Icelandic alphabet.

Banned Names FAQs

How Do I Know if a Name Has Been Banned?

If you are unsure whether your child’s name is legal, make sure to check the individual laws set by your country or state. Some countries have official lists of banned names, some offer strict guidance as to naming regulations, while others are less clear on what will or won’t be allowed. It is always important to double-check with local authorities.

Can I Name My Kid Batman?

Although it depends on what country you live in, the name Batman is mostly not accepted as a valid given name for a baby.

What Country Has the Strictest Baby Naming Laws?

Iceland and Germany have some of the strictest naming laws in the world. They maintain dedicated committees that must approve new names to ensure they protect the child from future ridicule.

Why Are Certain Baby Names Banned?

Governments typically ban names to protect children from lifelong bullying, confusion, or psychological harm. They also outlaw professional titles like King or Doctor to prevent administrative fraud.

Can You Change an Illegal Name Later in Life?

Yes, adults can usually apply to legally change their names once they turn 18. However, the new name request still has to comply with local laws and pass the government approval processes.

Are Numbers Allowed in Baby Names?

Most countries strictly prohibit using numerical digits in a birth certificate name. You generally have to spell out the number as a word if you really want to use it.

What Happens if You Choose an Illegal Name?

The hospital registrar will usually reject the birth certificate application immediately. You will then have a certain number of days to pick an acceptable alternative before the government steps in.

Are Punctuation Marks Legal in Names?

Most states and countries reject standard punctuation marks, symbols, and emojis. Some regions do allow hyphens or apostrophes for culturally significant hyphenated names.