New Zealand made headlines when it rejected parents' requests to give their babies controversial baby names. The nation has rules about such things and names with rank or royal connotations are off limits, as are names that are too long or contain a symbol.
Want your kid to have a title? He's going to have to earn it. Among the names turned down by the New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs were Senior Constable, Corporal and Justice (and the alternate Justyce and Justis). Many parents were disappointed when they were unable to call their kids Prince (and Prynce), Princess, King, Queen and Royal Rule.
Five different parents attempted to add the / symbol to their child's birth certificate and one petitioned for ( ), according to the Australian Associated Press. Others tried "3rd" and "09." New Zealand rules also forbade one attempt to name a child Christ and another's desire to use Lucifer.
Others that didn't make the cut include Bishop, Duchess, Duke (and Dukey), Knight, Majesty, Major, Mr. and Sex Fruit. And the country's specific rules apply to more than just newborns. A 9-year-old girl was placed into court guardianship until her name, Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii, was legally changed.
New Zealand isn't the only nation with strict baby name rules. In the United Kingdom, for example, parents cannot use names that promote hate, vulgarity or drug use, or names that poke fun at government officials.
In Portugal, it's all about formality. If you want to call your child Mike or Sue, be prepared to enter Michael or Susan on the birth certificate.
In China, the @ symbol is pronounced ai-ta. One baby's name was filed as Wang @, but the Chinese government said no go.
Want to name your daughter Metallica? Then don't file for a birth certificate in Sweden, where the name Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116 (pronounced Albin) was also rejected. (For the record, Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116's name was a parent's attempt to make a statement about Sweden's strict naming laws.)
The Mexican state Sonora bans names that are "lacking in meaning." Among the rejected names are Circumcision, Facebook, James Bond, Lady Di, Robocop, Terminator and Traffic.
The Saudi Arabian culture is not fond of western names or names with royal undertones. Don't go there if you want your daughter to go by Alice, Elaine or Linda.
Now, in the good ole U.S., you are free to name your child whatever you want… but you are also free to express your opinion about names you don't like. When Heath Campbell ordered a birthday cake for his son, Adolf Hitler Campbell, the cake shop refused. (It likely also did not decorate cakes for Adolf's sisters, Eva Braun and JoyceLynn Aryan Nation.)
More baby name fun
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More baby names forbidden in New Zealand
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