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Choosing a name for your little one can be a difficult process: one that requires a lot of love, thought and time. However, some countries have made the job a little easier (or harder, depending on who you ask).
Banning names is nothing new, and it’s been done on various grounds in the past, whether that be due to trademarking reasons or on the grounds of being… offensive. But some of the names and their reasons for being banned have been a little unconventional.
The experts of language class platform Preply have compiled a list of the strangest baby name bans from around the world, and some of them are sure to surprise.
Sorry, Chris Martin and Gwynneth Paltrow
Fans of Coldplay or the former couple will know that they caused quite the stir when naming their daughter ‘Apple’. However, in Malaysia, the name is outright banned.
Not just Apple, but all names that come from fruits and vegetables are banned – Pineapple, Papaya, Durian or Dragonfruit.
The Malaysian authorities gave the reasoning that the names could provoke teasing, and are not in line with preserving the dignity of a personal name.
Superhero fans, beware
One that may make you think of a mischievous charmer, or perhaps a superhero: Rogue, after the beloved X-Men character. Unfortunately, for fans of the name, the United Kingdom has banned it.
© Getty ImagesThe name was once rejected by British registrars on the grounds that it may suggest unlawful or dangerous behaviour, which they felt might be inappropriate as one’s first impression of a child.
One that’s easier to pronounce than spell
Not a common choice for a tot, but the Swedish government has outlawed the name “Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116”.
In 1996, one couple received a fine, having failed to register a name for their child before their fifth birthday. In response, as a protest, the pair submitted this as the name for their child, claiming that it would be pronounced ‘Albin’, a rather sweet name.
However, the Swedish authorities were certainly not amused, quickly rejecting and completely banning the name, though I doubt many families have tried for this once since.
The Brits will be fuming
In the United Kingdom, many of us look forward to scoffing down a fish and chips by the seaside – there’s no limit to the love. Unfortunately, there is in New Zealand.
© Peter AdamsWhen one couple professed their love for the delicacy by trying to give the names ‘Fish’ and ‘Chips’ to a pair of twins, the New Zealand authorities stepped in and vetoed it, out of fear that it would lead to bullying.
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