# Can you name your child anything you want?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-your-child-anything-you-want/320584
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [September 7, 2005, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-your-child-anything-you-want/320584 "2005-09-07T22:32:39Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Carnick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnick)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2005, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-your-child-anything-you-want/320584/1 "2005-09-07T22:32:39Z")
Can you legally name your child Dirtbag, Fartface, or Dumbass? What if you used really offensive or racist words? Could anyone stop you?
---
### Author:  [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2005, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-your-child-anything-you-want/320584/2 "2005-09-07T22:36:17Z")
> [@Carnick](#):
>
> Can you legally name your child Dirtbag, Fartface, or Dumbass? What if you used really offensive or racist words? Could anyone stop you?
In the US, you can name your child pretty much anything you want.
In many European countries, no, there are significant restrictions on names for children.
There was a long thread about this recently.
---
### Author:  [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2005, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-your-child-anything-you-want/320584/3 "2005-09-07T22:42:48Z")
Wiki says
> [@](#):
>
> In some jurisdictions, mainly civil law jurisdictions such as France or Quebec, the functionary whose job it is to record acts of birth may act to prevent parents from giving the child a name that may cause him or her harm, such as a bizarre or obscene one (in France, by referring the case to a local judge)
, but I doubt that applies to Americans. In otherwords, I don’t know.
---
### Author:  [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2005, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-your-child-anything-you-want/320584/4 "2005-09-07T22:44:10Z")
> [@Telemark](#):
>
> There was a long thread about this recently.
[Linky](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=327985)
---
### Author:  [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2005, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-your-child-anything-you-want/320584/5 "2005-09-08T02:50:28Z")
Not acquaintances of mine, but I know of children named Vagina and Name. And one other named Phoebe Wiebe, but that’s not exactly the same thing.
---
### Author:  [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2005, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-your-child-anything-you-want/320584/6 "2005-09-08T09:00:28Z")
The Social Security Death Index has:
Shit C. Shum (1944 - 2003)
Shit Y. Yeung (1911 - 1994)
---
### Author:  [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2005, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-your-child-anything-you-want/320584/7 "2005-09-08T12:38:46Z")
> [@Scott Plaid](#):
>
> [Linky](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=327985)
This thread is closer to what the OP asked:
“Would I run into any restrictions giving my kid an obscene name? (US)”
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=288434&highlight=cuntfuck](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=288434&highlight=cuntfuck)
---
### Author:  [@Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazon_Floozy_Goddess)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2005, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-your-child-anything-you-want/320584/8 "2005-09-08T13:35:56Z")
I remember a few years back there was a huge ruckus over an incident where a mom & dad wanted to name their baby girl Ivory. From what I remember, apparently Ivory Soap had issues with this, and a legal battle ensued - I can’t remember what the outcome was. Anyone else remember this?
---
### Author:  [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2005, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-your-child-anything-you-want/320584/9 "2005-09-08T13:49:36Z")
> [@Carnick](#):
>
> Can you legally name your child Dirtbag, **Fartface,** or Dumbass? What if you used really offensive or racist words? Could anyone stop you?
“It’s pronounced _Ferris…_”
---
### Author:  [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2005, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-your-child-anything-you-want/320584/10 "2005-09-08T14:16:33Z")
You can name your kid any damn thing you want. But be aware, that if you name him fartface, he may very well murder you in your sleep with a sock full of pennies at the age of nine. 😛
---
### Author:  [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2005, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-your-child-anything-you-want/320584/11 "2005-09-08T15:09:39Z")
In the book “Freakonomics” the author talks about a situation where a child was named a name the was pronounced shi-TEED. The name was spelled Shithead.
So I guess its possible.
---
### Author:  [@snorlax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snorlax)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2005, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-your-child-anything-you-want/320584/12 "2005-09-08T15:25:13Z")
Does anyone remember the SNL sketch (with Nick Cage) where an expectant couple are sitting in their living room proposing baby names? Every suggestion the wife comes up with is shot down by the husband because he is concerned that the child will be teased in the playground. The doorbell rings and a package arrives for “Mr Asswipe Johnson”. The father insists "it’s pronounced “Aas-wee-pay!”
---
### Author:  [@snorlax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snorlax)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2005, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-your-child-anything-you-want/320584/13 "2005-09-08T15:28:23Z")
…and here’s a [link](http://www.cagebypage.com/images_art/snl/snl_3.html).
---
### Author:  [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2005, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-your-child-anything-you-want/320584/14 "2005-09-08T15:43:03Z")
> [@Amazon Floozy Goddess](#):
>
> I remember a few years back there was a huge ruckus over an incident where a mom & dad wanted to name their baby girl Ivory. From what I remember, apparently Ivory Soap had issues with this, and a legal battle ensued - I can’t remember what the outcome was. Anyone else remember this?
C’mon. There is no fucking way that this is true. For starters, how would Ivory Soap even find out about some random baby’s name? How is [Keenan Ivory Wayans](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005540/) allowed to perform? In fact, how is anyone named McDonald able to avoid getting sued?
---
### Author:  [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2005, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-your-child-anything-you-want/320584/15 "2005-09-08T19:05:27Z")
> [@hajario](#):
>
> C’mon. There is no fucking way that this is true. For starters, how would Ivory Soap even find out about some random baby’s name? How is [Keenan Ivory Wayans](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005540/) allowed to perform? In fact, how is anyone named McDonald able to avoid getting sued?
The story does sound bogus, but **Amazon Floozy Goddess** does live in Canada, where the rules might be different.
I worked with a lovely woman named Ivory here in the US.
My high school Business Law teacher talked about things like this. He said if your name was Howard Johnson and you opened a paint store named after you, no problem. If you opened a motel named after you, the existing Howard Johnson chain would probably sue you.
---
### Author:  [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2005, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-your-child-anything-you-want/320584/16 "2005-09-08T19:15:55Z")
> [@Revtim](#):
>
> [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=288434&highlight=cuntfuck](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=288434&highlight=cuntfuck)
Nice highlighting, there. 😃
---
### Author:  [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2005, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-your-child-anything-you-want/320584/17 "2005-09-11T14:22:33Z")
Heh, I usually remove the highlighting reference from the URL, I picked a good time to forget!
---
### Author:  [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2005, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-your-child-anything-you-want/320584/18 "2005-09-11T19:25:22Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#):
>
> “It’s pronounced _Ferris…_”
and Du - mass
---
### Author:  [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2005, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-your-child-anything-you-want/320584/19 "2005-09-11T19:36:41Z")
> [@Carnick](#):
>
> Can you legally name your child Dirtbag, Fartface, or Dumbass? What if you used really offensive or racist words? Could anyone stop you?
WHY?
I knew a man from Malysia whose last name was “Fart.” His parents didn’t know he was coming to the US.
Every one called him by his first name!
---
### Author:  [@mamboman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mamboman)
#### Post date: [September 11, 2005, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-your-child-anything-you-want/320584/20 "2005-09-11T19:48:38Z")
Dunno if it’s a hijack or not, but if you did choose to name your child Shithead or somesuch, could your child later sue you on the grounds that the teasing that name engendered caused him lasting psychological damage?
mm
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-your-child-anything-you-want/320584.md?page=2)