Socialites, Your Baby’s Name Might Already Be Illegal
Socialites, come get into this—if you’re getting ready to have a kid soon and brainstorming baby names, you might wanna pause and read this before making anything official.
According to TODAY citing USbirthcertificates.com, 11 baby names are officially banned in the U.S.—and some might surprise you. You may want to check this list before you ink that birth certificate.
As reported, the names that have been ruled illegal by U.S. courts include:
“King, Queen, Jesus Christ, III, Santa Claus, Majesty, Adolf Hitler, Nutella, Messiah, @, 1069.”
That’s right. Some of these might’ve sounded regal, festive, or even iconic—but the government said “nah.”
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Why These Names Were Banned In The First Place
Now let’s get into why these names didn’t make the cut.
In the U.S., naming laws fall under state jurisdiction, not federal. So while there’s no nationwide ban list, state governments have the power to reject names if they violate local rules—especially if they include numerals, emojis, or symbols that can’t be recorded in official documents. That’s why names like “@” and “1069” are automatic no-go’s.
Most of the banned names were blocked because they’re seen as misleading, offensive, or impossible to enter into government systems. Names like “Adolf Hitler,” “Jesus Christ,” or “Santa Claus” get rejected because of historical or religious sensitivities—and baby Nutella? Apparently, the courts thought that was straight-up child endangerment.
Here’s What States Are Already Saying “No” To
You may be surprised to learn that some states already have name rules that go hard in the paint. Here’s how it breaks down:
• California won’t allow any names with diacritical marks, like accents. So if you’re naming your daughter “Sofía” with an accent—nah, you’ll have to drop it.
• Texas limits baby names to 100 characters total, including first, middle, and last names. If your baby name reads like a full sentence—Texas said, “Try again.”
• New Jersey and Georgia will reject a name if it includes numbers or symbols.
• New York doesn’t allow obscene or offensive words. So no, you can’t name your kid anything wild or vulgar—even if it’s a joke.
• Tennessee is big on ensuring a baby’s name doesn’t “impede function.” They once tried to rename a baby “Messiah” to “Martin,” but that was overturned on appeal.
• North Dakota doesn’t allow umlauts or tildes either—so names like “Zoë” or “José” get stripped back.
So even though these rules vary, the bottom line is simple: Don’t try to name your child something you wouldn’t want shouted on a school loudspeaker or stamped on a legal doc.
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