# Laws/rules on naming babies? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 6, 2012, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-rules-on-naming-babies/624324 "2012-06-06T22:45:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Apocalypso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Apocalypso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apocalypso)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2012, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-rules-on-naming-babies/624324/1 "2012-06-06T22:45:39Z")
Say I, Apocalypso Gandalf Farnsworth, am graced with a newborn babe, and am asked by the hospital staff what to name him/her. To which I reply “Bill Smith, Junior”. Is this kosher? Presumably you can call whatever first name you choose as long as it isn’t obscene. But am I allowed to pick a different last name than either of the parents? Can I throw in a junior, even if the child doesn’t share my first name? Can I add “the fourth”, even if it’s a girl? If the answers to any of the above are “No”, what entity would disallow it? Just curious… ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2012, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-rules-on-naming-babies/624324/2 "2012-06-06T22:54:08Z")
> [@Apocalypso](#): > > Say I, Apocalypso Gandalf Farnsworth, am graced with a newborn babe, and am asked by the hospital staff what to name him/her. To which I reply “Bill Smith, Junior”. Is this kosher? Presumably you can call whatever first name you choose as long as it isn’t obscene. But am I allowed to pick a different last name than either of the parents? Can I throw in a junior, even if the child doesn’t share my first name? Can I add “the fourth”, even if it’s a girl? If the answers to any of the above are “No”, what entity would disallow it? > Just curious… Well, there are always the rules of good taste, but they’re not really enforceable. As to the more conventional meaning of “law”, it comes down to where you choose to do the namin’. A name matters mostly in official registration of the bambino’s identity with Big Brother, and different incarnations of Bro have differing rules. I am not aware of any such laws in any portion of the United States in which I’ve had children, but that’s just two counties of one state of one country, so I’m sure I’m a good example of “The singular of data is not anecdote.” I recall that some countries do have laws about naming. [Sweden, for instance](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naming_law_in_Sweden) ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2012, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-rules-on-naming-babies/624324/3 "2012-06-06T23:26:32Z")
I seem to remember a few tales of judges in New Zealand preventing parents from giving their children ridiculous names, and one judge allowing a nine year old girl with the name “Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii” to change hers (presumably against the wishes of her parents). ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2012, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-rules-on-naming-babies/624324/4 "2012-06-06T23:36:55Z")
One limit is likely to be an requirement to name the child in the local script, so if you were in an English-speaking country a name like Αλέξανδρος or 光 would not be acceptable. If parents tried to register such a name, they would probably be told, “Please write the name in the English alphabet.” (Of course, such names would be completely acceptable in Greece and Japan, respectively.) ---
**Author:** ![SubaRhubarb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@SubaRhubarb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SubaRhubarb)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-rules-on-naming-babies/624324/5 "2012-06-07T00:41:34Z")
Kanji names are regulated. [Japanese name - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_name#Regulations) ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-rules-on-naming-babies/624324/6 "2012-06-07T01:43:28Z")
> [@Apocalypso](#): > > Presumably you can call whatever first name you choose as long as it isn’t obscene. Actually, are there restrictions against obscene names? If I wanted to Name my kid Motherfucker Retard Asshat III, could the county clerk, or whoever, say no? ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-rules-on-naming-babies/624324/7 "2012-06-07T01:53:34Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > Actually, are there restrictions against obscene names? If I wanted to Name my kid Motherfucker Retard Asshat III, could the county clerk, or whoever, say no? I’ve met a John Thomas… ---
**Author:** ![minkyberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@minkyberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minkyberry)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-rules-on-naming-babies/624324/8 "2012-06-07T02:09:34Z")
I know that in China, you are restricted to name combinations of chinese characters (some 20,000) encoded in their government computer system. Since any other character is impossible to input (or print), Chinese parents register a sufficiently similar character for official purposes or sue the government to effect the insertion of the character. When I filled in my younger brother’s birth certificate in Australia, it said on the form (or possibly the accompanying brochure, it was a long time ago) that it was illegal to give your child a “joke name” or a name comprising of offensive language and people doing so will have their name submissions rejected or prosecuted, but I do not know how they decide this. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-rules-on-naming-babies/624324/9 "2012-06-07T02:29:41Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > Actually, are there restrictions against obscene names? If I wanted to Name my kid Motherfucker Retard Asshat III, could the county clerk, or whoever, say no? > **[StockExaminer - AI-Powered Stock Chatbot](https://examiner.com)** > > Discover Stock Examiner, the AI-powered chatbot delivering instant, interactive stock charts, real-time financials, breaking news, stock screeners, and more—all in one seamless experience. Well, it might not be the best for your relationship with Child Services. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-rules-on-naming-babies/624324/10 "2012-06-07T05:39:40Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > Actually, are there restrictions against obscene names? If I wanted to Name my kid Motherfucker Retard Asshat III, could the county clerk, or whoever, say no? According to a friend who worked in the clerk’s office, yes, the Clerk can just say no to an objectionable name. He said that if the parents complained, they were told ‘go ahead and sue us – we’ll accept that name if you can get a court to order us to. But we have a whole County Attorneys’ office to defend us in Court. How many lawyers do you have on retainer?’ He said nobody ever actually took them to court over this. That was a few years ago, so maybe their policy has changed since then. But I doubt it. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-rules-on-naming-babies/624324/11 "2012-06-07T05:46:46Z")
How are those laws about what you can name a child _not_ horribly racist? ---
**Author:** ![minkyberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@minkyberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minkyberry)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-rules-on-naming-babies/624324/12 "2012-06-07T07:18:20Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > How are those laws about what you can name a child _not_ horribly racist? The laws are not racist because language is not a racially exclusive characteristic to begin with, and at any rate, there are no laws that say you can’t give a name based on another language. As long as you can provide a phonetic spelling for it in the script of the language the country uses, anything goes. No really, anything goes. I have seen legal names that would have been considered misspellings (Bencjan, Mahomet, Janypher), we all know of famous nonsensical names (Suri, Apple, Chastity), names generally considered inappropriate for a particular gender (Ivica, Ezra, Cyril, Contemplacion, Caesar - the Phillippines seem to be particularly prone to this), names that are obviously intended to cause mischief or offense (Ben Dover, Osama Binladen [surname redacted] who was born on the 11th of september, and there was Golden Palace Dot Com, Urhines Randall Icy Eight Special K), names that are traditionally surnames (Whitlam, Johnson, Jackson, - Asian males seem to do this a lot). ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-rules-on-naming-babies/624324/13 "2012-06-07T07:21:02Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > How are those laws about what you can name a child _not_ horribly racist? What? They apply equally to parents of all races, and to all children, regardless of which race (or mix of races) that they are. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-rules-on-naming-babies/624324/14 "2012-06-07T07:54:01Z")
First, when I say ‘naming laws’, I mean places where you can only choose from a list, like Denmark or Iceland. (Or possibly places where if someone decides a name is simply too weird, like Sweden, but let’s go with Denmark for now.) Now, that list is going to have Danish names. And what is more tied to your culture, and therefore your race, than your name? Yes, culture and race are bound, mainly because race doesn’t have a sensible definition without reference to culture, and the concept of race is not going away. Therefore, an immigrant will not be able to carry on naming traditions due to the law. That law has discriminated on the basis of culture, and therefore race. Racist. **[t-bonham@scc.net](mailto:t-bonham@scc.net)**: “The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich and the poor alike to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread.” – Anatole France ---
**Author:** ![ctnguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@ctnguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ctnguy)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-rules-on-naming-babies/624324/15 "2012-06-07T10:18:41Z")
Your question about the choice of surname hasn’t really been mentioned yet. In South Africa a baby has to be given the surname of one of the parents or a double-barrelled surname joining both together. If the parents aren’t married the father’s surname can only be used if he officially acknowledges paternity. (All this I know because I looked it up for a cousin who was having a baby outside of marriage.) There are no restrictions on first names. This is enforced through the requirement that all births be registered with a government department within 30 days. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-rules-on-naming-babies/624324/16 "2012-06-07T10:28:39Z")
> [@minkyberry](#): > > we all know of famous nonsensical names (Suri, Apple, Chastity), Excuse me, but Chastity is a very traditional name, as are its sisters virtues: among them Hope, Charity or Faith. As for “lastnames as firstnames”, it’s been going on for centuries among Anglos. In Spain it used to be illegal to give your child a foreign name if there was a Spanish-language equivalent; of course this was limited by the clerk’s knowledge, so for example I remember a case of a Italo-Spanish family which had to register their Giancarlo as Juan Carlos, whereas many Jennifers escaped being called Ginebra (which is both the Spanish for Jennifer and the name for gin, the liquor). Nowadays the clerk can refuse registering a Nutella or an Obamaisanigga, but foreign is ok. As for lastnames, we get two and while the traditional mode is father’s first followed by mother’s first (or mother’s both, in cases of father unknown or refusing to recognize the baby), now the parents can choose order. You still can’t give the kid a lastname you just happen to fancy, or give it the lastname of a father who hasn’t recognized paternity. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-rules-on-naming-babies/624324/17 "2012-06-07T10:38:29Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > First, when I say ‘naming laws’, I mean places where you can only choose from a list, like Denmark or Iceland… > > Now, that list is going to have Danish names… > > Therefore, an immigrant will not be able to carry on naming traditions due to the law. That law has discriminated on the basis of culture, and therefore race. Racist. The problem here is that both of your premises are false, which you could have found out in 2 minutes on Google. > [@](#): > > People expecting children can choose a pre-approved name from a government list of 7,000 mostly West European and English names - 3,000 for boys, 4,000 for girls. A few ethnic names, like Ali and Hassan, have recently been added. > > But those wishing to deviate from the official list must seek permission at their local parish church, where all newborns’ names are registered. A request for an unapproved name triggers a review at Copenhagen University’s Names Investigation Department and at the Ministry of Ecclesiastical Affairs, which has the ultimate authority. The law applies only if one of the parents is Danish. > > Many parents do not realize how difficult it can be to get a name approved by the government. About 1,100 names are reviewed every year, and 15 percent to 20 percent are rejected, mostly for odd spellings. > **[Jens and Vita, but Molli? Danes Favor Common Names (Published 2004)](https://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/08/world/europe/jens-and-vita-but-molli-danes-favor-common-names.html)** > > Denmark's Law on Personal Names is designed to protect children from being burdened by preposterous or silly names; under law, choosing first and last name for child is subject to approval by Ministry of Ecclesiastical Affairs and Ministry of Family... So the list includes non-Danish. You can deviate from the list if you want and about 75% or 80% are approved. Oh, and the law doesn’t apply to the non-Danish. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-rules-on-naming-babies/624324/18 "2012-06-07T11:38:13Z")
Cecil has touched on this: [Is it illegal to take a newborn home from the hospital without naming it first? - The Straight Dope](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1278/is-it-illegal-to-take-a-newborn-home-from-the-hospital-without-naming-it-first) Although the primary question is whether the baby has to be named before leaving the hospital, he does touch on laws about naming (which apparently are different by jurisdiction.) ---
**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-rules-on-naming-babies/624324/19 "2012-06-07T11:41:37Z")
In Germany, you cannot name your newborn “Professor” or “Doctor”. This has been ruled by the courts. Would be very convenient given the exploding costs of higher education. ---
**Author:** ![RandomLetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8edcca/32.png) [@RandomLetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandomLetters)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2012, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-rules-on-naming-babies/624324/20 "2012-06-07T13:04:24Z")
> [@Darth\_Panda](#): > > So the list includes non-Danish. You can deviate from the list if you want and about 75% or 80% are approved. Oh, and the law doesn’t apply to the non-Danish. That means the law is still racists, just with Danes being the ones suffering the racism, by giving non-Danes more naming options. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laws-rules-on-naming-babies/624324.md?page=2)