Which countries have official lists of 'allowed' baby names?

Question

An Italian couple were not allowed to call their son 'Friday'.

http://www.nowpublic.com/life/couple-not-allowed-name-son-friday

Are there any other countries that have 'allowed' names?

Do you agree / disagree with this?

Answer 1

Switzerland and Germany both have it. If you're foreign, however, you can call your kids names not on the list if you can show that it's common in your country.

I think it's a good idea, because some parents try to call their kids ridiculous names. A couple in Australia recently called their kid 'Superman', only after they were prevented from calling him '4real'. What you're called can have a big impact on your life. It's hard to take somebody seriously, after all, when they have a ridiculous name.

In the UK, a registrar can refuse to register a birth though (I suppose in extreme circumstances like the Australian example).

Stopping someone from calling their kid 'Friday' though, is clearly a bit harsh

Answer 2

Sweden doesn't have any lists that I know about, but the Tax Board has to approve of all baby names. And everybody else's names, too - there was a (non-transsexual) man who wanted to change his name to Venus a few years back, and they wouldn't allow it because it was "clearly inappropriate for a male", never mind what *he* wanted.

Answer 3

most countries don't allow couples to put numbers in their babies names.

do i disagree with it?

meh. not really that big of an issue for me.

EDIT- and fyi, there wasn't a "list" of banned names, the law said it forbade "shameful or demeaning" names. my understanding is that most countries have something like this on the books- prevents people from naming their children swear words and things like that.

Answer 4

In France it used to be you could only call your child by a christian name or a name that already firmly exists, you couldn't just make up a name or name your child after a car or something like that. Now you can but 'the powers that be' can stop you if they judge a name is going to be harmful in some way to the child, for example a couple where stopped from calling their child Bin Laden. Personally i agree with this judgement (i mean what kind of life would the poor kid have with a name like that, not to mention it's kind of dangerous).

Answer 5

Hungary has this list too, though names that are not on the list are usually approved if they are:

- not too crazy

- can be clearly identified as male or female

- spelled according to the rules of Hungarian ortography (like, Kelly spelled as Kelli, 'cause "y" is not used as a vowel)

Answer 6

The Orthodox church will only christen yr child if u have chosen a christian name or a christian name from the bible. Some priests aren't fussed, they are happy that u are christening yr child into yr religion but some are strict. It took me a week of coming and going from one priest to another til one finally gave in and let me christen my child the name i'd chosen.

Answer 7

I know Germany has such a list. My sister had a baby in a German hospital and they gave her a list of approved names. She did pick a name from the list but I can't help but wonder what would have happened if she hadn't liked any of the choices.

Answer 8

Many other countries including France.  Most names are supposed to be those of Saints.  My own child's name is actually a last name which doesn't work well with my European relatives.

Answer 9

Germany has a list to stop people naming their kids Hitler or Himmler etc.