Are there illegal names?
- King.
- Queen.
- Jesus Christ.
- III.
- Santa Claus.
- Majesty.
- Adolf Hitler.
- Messiah.
Derogatory or obscene names are banned in California. Only the 26 characters of the English alphabet are allowed, which rules out umlauts and others. Pictographs such as smiley faces or ideograms such as a “thumbs-up” sign are specifically banned.
Banned Names in the US
Some people wonder whether they can name their child a number or a trademark, or emoji. Although there are certain states with no naming laws at all —such as Kentucky— in most states, these names would be prohibited. Here are some examples of illegal names in the United States: Jesus Christ.
The law bans names that contain “obscenity, numerals, symbols, or a combination of letters, numerals, or symbols…”, but naming a child after a mass murderer is A-OK. In most cases, the United States is pretty relaxed about what you can name your child when it comes to the stigma or meaning a name may carry.
Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116, ostensibly pronounced [ˈǎlːbɪn] ("Albin"), is a name intended for a Swedish child who was born in 1991. Parents Elisabeth Hallin and Lasse Diding gave their child this name to protest a fine, imposed in accordance with the naming law in Sweden.
Ten examples of prohibited baby names reportedly include King, Queen, Jesus Christ, III, Santa Claus, Majesty, Adolf Hitler, Messiah, the symbol @ and 1069.
Harry and Ron are acceptable names in many parts of the world, but in the Mexican state of Sonora, Hermione makes the banned baby names list. The Greek name, which means “well born,” predates the studious witch in the Harry Potter series.
Regardless of these relatively lenient naming regulations, there are still a handful of names that were ruled illegal by courts within the US. Some of these are listed below: King.
Illegal in the United States
But in many other countries, title names—including Duke, Prince, King, and Queen—are banned. But what about made-up titles like Khaleesi?
Jehovah (/dʒɪˈhoʊvə/) is a Latinization of the Hebrew יְהֹוָה Yəhōwā, one vocalization of the Tetragrammaton יהוה (YHWH), the proper name of the God of Israel in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. The Tetragrammaton יהוה is considered one of the seven names of God in Judaism and the personal name of God in Christianity.
Is it a sin to say God's name?
Exodus 20:7 tells us that we are not to misuse the name of the Lord, our God. That verse continues with a clear warning: “The Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His name.” The third commandment should not be taken lightly. Leviticus 24 says that a person caught taking God's name in vain was to be stoned.
The longest personal name is 747 characters long, and belongs to Hubert Blaine Wolfeschlegelsteinhausenbergerdorff Sr. (b. 4 August 1914, Germany) who passed away on 24 October 1997, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA, as verified on 1 January 2021.

Norse mythology and Marvel enthusiasts will love the renowned name Thor, a masculine title of Norse origin, meaning “thunder.” This mighty name is borne by the Norse god of thunder, the sky, and agriculture, who has made a break on the big screen as a beloved member of the Avengers.
If the parents then fail to ever give an official moniker, the placeholder name inevitably gets used in the birth certificate processing, which is also typically handled by hospital staff.
To change the name on your child's birth certificate, contact your state's Office of Vital Records (typically part of the Department of Health). Many states allow new parents six to 12 months to make changes on a child's birth certificate without requiring a court order.
- King.
- Queen.
- Majesty.
- Master.
- Judge.
- Duke.
Adolf was a widespread name in German-speaking countries until it became infamous through the Nazi dictator. After Hitler took power in 1933, the name briefly spiked, but became very unpopular after 1942. From 1951 onwards, the name was barely used anymore.
Parents can be forgiven for not knowing that they can leave the hospital with a nameless baby. Bureaucracy is a bully. But it's completely legal in most U.S. states to leave the baby portion of the birth-certificate blank. You can walk out of any hospital with a nameless child (as long as it's your own).