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Why is the name Alice banned in Saudi Arabia? List of baby names that are illegal in other countries


‘They wanted to call me what?!’ (Picture: Getty)

‘What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.’

Not to argue with Shakespeare, but it turns out there’s actually quite a lot in the choice of a name – at least if we follow the different rules set across the world.

Whereas unusual names are set to soar in popularity in the UK, other countries have stricter rules about alternative names and names many would consider regular.

Sorry to any Sarah, Tom, Charlotte or Jenny reading this, but your names are banned in certain countries across the globe.

And if you’re called Alice, Saudi Arabia is no wonderland for you.

Why is Alice banned in Saudi Arabia and what other names are banned across the world?

Why is the name Alice banned in Saudi Arabia?

In 2014, Saudi Arabia banned 50 baby names, one of which was Alice.

There wasn’t too much elaboration on why Alice – along with names like Elaine, Linda and Sandy – was to be banned other than the statement that these names ‘contradict the culture and religion’ of the country.

Banned names include ‘foreign’ names, along with names related to royalty and ones considered blasphemous.

Many foreign names are banned in Saudi Arabia (Picture: Getty)

What other countries have banned names?

From James Bond to Elvis, there are plenty of countries that have banned certain names. Here’s a selection of banned names and specific rules around picking a name around the world.

Germany

Adolf Hitler is a banned name. No explanation necessary for this one (although the name isn’t banned elsewhere, including the United States. One family in New Jersey named their three children Adolf Hitler, JoyceLynn Aryan Nation and Heinrich Hons).

Iceland

In Iceland, any name with the letter C in it is banned.

The letter C doesn’t appear in the Icelandic alphabet so if you fancied calling your child Camilla or Caroline, you’d have to use the letter K.

It’s not just the letter C Iceland has an issue with, the Icelandic Naming Committee – who gets to decide whether any proposed new name is allowed – has banned several names in the past, including Ezra, Zelda, and Lady.

The reasons for banning those names vary: Zelda was reportedly rejected because the Icelandic alphabet dropped the use of the letter Z decades ago, while the precise reasons for banning ‘Lady’ are unknown.

Iceland is home to wonders like the Northern Lights… but not the letter C. (Picture: Getty)

Malaysia

In Malaysia, no names taken from food or the natural kingdom are allowed. Bad news for Gwyneth Paltrow’s daughter Apple or Cheryl’s son Bear.

Mexico

The name’s Bond. James Bond. But not in Mexico.

Mexico put a ban on several names that they believed might cause a child distress or bullying when older. These include James Bond, Harry Potter and Scrotum.

Terrible news for the, assumedly, thousands of people desperate to name their child Scrotum.

Morocco

Sarah, a pretty popular name all over the world, is banned in Morocco. This is because Sarah with an H is attributed to the Hebrew spelling. You can, however, name a child Sara.



Common names banned around the world

Ashley (Germany, Denmark, Portugal)
Caroline (Iceland)
Charlotte (Portugal, Iceland)
Chloe (Iceland)
Chris (Iceland)
Ed (Portugal)
Jack (Iceland)
Jenny (Portugal)
John (Denmark)
Jordan (Germany, Denmark)
Kate (Portugal)
Lauren (Saudi Arabia)
Matt (Portugal)
Mike (Portugal)
Sarah (Morocco)
Zoe (Iceland)

Portugal

Portugal is one of the strictest countries when it comes to picking a name.

The government keeps an 80-page guide to which baby names are allowed and which are forbidden.

Aiden, Ashley, Bruce, Charlotte, Dylan, and Jenny are just some names banned, with foreign names not permitted to be used for Portuguese babies.

Also, names cannot be abbreviated. So Tom is not allowed, but Thomas is.

Sweden

Sweden takes baby names so seriously there’s a whole law about it: 1982’s Naming Law.

The law was initially enacted so non-noble families wouldn’t give names of noble families to their children, however, the law was updated to state: ‘First names shall not be approved if they can cause offence or can be supposed to cause discomfort for the one using it.’

The Swedish Tax Agency runs the registration of names in Sweden, and parents must submit their proposed names within three months of birth.

Names that have been banned include Elvis, Superman, Metallica and Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116, pronounced as Albin, if you didn’t already guess.

And everyone thought Elon Musk and Grime’s baby had a complex name.

United Kingdom

Here in the UK, we’re pretty liberal with what people call their kids. Except when it comes to naming your child Monkey. That’s a step too far and you’d be considered bananas.

Martian is reportedly also on the list.


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