One of the most thrilling aspects of being pregnant with a baby on the was is the prospect of choosing the perfect name for your unborn child. And while this task can be pretty fun, it can also be a bit daunting. Do you choose a traditional name of a family member who has passed?
Do you go for a cool, hip name that you think will sound good with your last name? There are thousands and thousands of name options for your child and sometimes the number of options can be overwhelming.
In some other countries, there are certain types of names that are not allowed to be given to babies. Some of these regulations may be a little strange to expecting parents in the United States. Here are some types of baby names that are banned from different countries around the world.
Keep reading for our selection of different countries around the world that had baby names completely banned.
1. Mexico: Robocop
According to an article from The Guardian Mexico, you won’t find a child named “Robocop” anymore, thanks to a new law banning 61 names.
The director of the civil registry in Mexico, Cristina Ramírez, said: “The objective of the list is to protect children from being bullied because of their name. We know that bullying can seriously affect a child’s personality and the development of social skills, and we want to do what we can from our area of responsibility.”
Other banned names included: Burger King; Terminator; Hitler; Hermione; Batman; and Tránsito (Traffic).
2. Norway: Gesher (Bridge)
According to an article from Telegraph, a Norwegian mother was sent to jail after deciding to not pay the $420 for using an unauthorized name. She stated that she put her son name as “Gesher”, Hebrew word for Bridge after a dream she had.
According to the Name Act of Norway, parents are not allowed to name their child a name that has already been registered. People believe that this is an attempt to control the over-use of some names. In Norway, it is also not encouraged to name your child with a name that could be used as a last name.
Other banned names included: King; Anal; Juztice; Lucifer; and Queen Victoria.
3. Denmark, Pluto
In Denmark, it is not allowed to name your child with a gender-neutral name. They also don’t allow weirdly absurd names. Some names that have been attempted, yet rejected, are Monkey, Anus, Tessa (similar to how you would pronounce the Danish word of “to urinate”), and Pluto.
According to an article from Business Insider, more than 1,000 names are reviewed every year and almost 20% are rejected, mostly for odd spellings. If the name you chose does not make the cut, you will have to seek permission of t Copenhagen University’s Names Investigation Department and at the Ministry of Ecclesiastical Affairs.
So, if you are an expecting parent in the United States and stressing about what to name your child with so many options available to you, consider yourself lucky that you don’t have a ton of weird restrictions.