These are some of the surprising baby names that have been banned around the world
When you’re expecting, coming up with a name can be super exciting. You buy books and consult family members to find out what would fit best.
But what if the name you settled on was banned in your country?
According to an article from the Daily Mail, multiple names are banned around the world.
For example, Linda, although common in Ireland, is banned in Saudi Arabia.
It was banned in 2014, after it was deemed ‘non-Islamic’ and culturally inappropriate.
Names have been banned for many reasons
One of the biggest is to avoid peers humiliating or ridiculing the individual.
For example, in France, the name ‘Fraise’ (meaning strawberry) was banned.
Although the name might not seem too bad, French authorities banned it due to its association with the phrase ‘ramène ta fraise’ (‘get your butt over here’), potentially problamatic.
‘Nutella’ was also banned to prevent humiliation from peers.
For those who wanted to name their child after a beloved band, in Sweden, you might not be able to do that.
In 2007, authorities rejected a couple’s request to name their child ‘Metallica’ as it was deemed “inappropriate due to trademark concerns and potential confusion.”
But naming your child something controversial can be used to protest
In 1996, after failing to register their child’s name before their fifth birthday, leading to a fine, one Swedish couple named their child ‘Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116’ (pronounced ‘Albin’) in protest, which was rejected in the end.
The UK banned the name ‘Rogue’, as it’s associated with rule-breaking, and deemed it ‘unlawful or dangerous behaviour’.
Furthermore, ‘Cyanide’, associated with a “notorious poison”, was banned to avoid any significant emotional harm to the child.
In Australia, they banned the name ‘Spinach’ to avoid ridicule despite its uniqueness.
Authorities also banned the name ‘LOL’ (Laugh Out Loud), as it could “undermine the seriousness of legal documents and lead to identification issues.”
New Zealand also stepped in to prevent couples from naming their child something that could cause potential harm.
For example, one couple was stopped from naming their twins ‘Fish’ and ‘Chips’.
However, one couple successfully named their child ‘Talula Does the Hula from Hawaii’ in 2008
They were brought to court as the child was embarrassed to say their name. In the end, they were put in court guardianship in order to change the name.
And for those following Gwyneth Paltrow, who named her child Apple, if you were in Malaysia, it wouldn’t stick.
Malaysia banned any names after fruit or vegetables to avoid ridicule or teasing.
Japan banned the name ‘Akuma’, which translates to the devil.
The USA banned the ‘@’, while ‘Burger King’ was banned in Mexico.
Finally, in Russia, the name ‘BOChrVF260602’ was banned as it directly translates to ‘biological human object of the Voronin-Frolov family born on June 26, 2002’.
