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Names are a huge part of one’s identity. It stays with you from birth until death, and every person you interact with knows you by it. The way parents name their children has evolved over the years. Back in the day, children were given names that had profound meanings. Or they would provide babies with a moniker that is closely associated with the family. However, in the recent past, the baby naming process has become quite fun and unique.
Parents get creative and come up with names that you probably would have never imagined. From Kanye West and Kim Kardashian naming their baby North to Beyonce and Jay Z naming their baby Blue Ivy, nothing seems to surprise us anymore. However, some countries believe that not every parent’s creativity should be encouraged. Here are 7 baby names that are banned in different countries:
1. Nutella – France
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A French family named their daughter Nutella. They probably thought she would become famous, but things turned out differently. She was teased in school to a point where they had to change her name to Ella. The story became well known among French society and resulted in the government officially banning the name Nutella for children.
2. Terminator – Mexico
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Did you know that the name Terminator (which was the character from Arnold Schwarzenegger’s movie) was a common one in Mexico? It became so popular that at one point, there were too many children with the same name. Therefore, the local authorities decided to ban the name.
3. Ikea – Sweden
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If you don’t name your baby after your favorite furniture store chain, is it even true love? Imagine loving this store so much that you name your baby Ikea! Your justification might be that you adore Ikea the same way you adore your baby, but the Swedish government disagrees. They issued a law stating that parents couldn’t give their children names that cause discomfort to those who use them.
4. Santa Claus – Ohio
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Robert William Handley loves Christmas and wanted to change his name to Santa Robert Claus. When the local authorities banned him from taking this name, he filed a lawsuit. They reviewed his case, and finally, he was permitted to change it.
5. Friday And Blu – Italy
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If Friday is your favorite day of the week and you live in Italy, you cannot give your baby that name. It is banned in Italy and falls under the category of “shameful and ridiculous”. Therefore, you’re forbidden to name your baby Friday. Blu is also banned because it does not indicate a specific gender and the law requires your baby to have a name which specifies its gender.
6. Pluto – Denmark
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If you’re living in Denmark, you can only name your baby from the list of names that’s been pre-approved by the state. It’s an official list of 7000 names. If you desire to give your baby a moniker that is not on the list, you must seek official permission from the authorities. Pluto and Money fall under the list of prohibited names.
7. Princess – New Zealand
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You cannot name your daughter Princess in New Zealand even if she is the princess of your family. The country rejected this name because it is an official title that’s given to someone. The names prince, king, queen, sir, pope, lady, saint, lord, duke, and others are also on the list of prohibited names for a child.
The perfect name strikes a balance between too common and too unique. Parents love to name their children creatively, no doubt. Kids have to live with these names for a long time, and if they are teased for it, they start to hate it. Therefore, maybe it’s right for some countries to ban certain names. Or not. What’s the most unique name you’ve heard? If you had to name your child, what name would you give them? Comment below and let us know.
