Parents in the United States technically have a lot of freedom when it comes to baby names, but that freedom hits a wall once state laws and court rulings get involved. There is no single national blacklist, yet judges and vital records offices have still pushed back on certain choices, from religious lightning rods to straight-up numbers. Here are 11 baby names that have been rejected or restricted in U.S. contexts, plus a few that are legal in some places but controversial enough that officials have tried to keep them off the books.
1) Lucifer
Lucifer shows up again and again in conversations about forbidden names, even though it is not universally illegal across the country. Reports on banned names note that some U.S. officials treat Lucifer as unacceptable because of its direct association with the devil. International roundups of outlawed names also flag Lucifer as a problem choice, which has helped cement the idea that it is off-limits everywhere.
In practice, whether parents can use Lucifer depends on the state clerk or judge reviewing the birth certificate. Some offices see it as a legitimate biblical name, while others argue that labeling a child “Devil” invites bullying and violates rules meant to protect minors. The broader trend is clear: when a name is tied this closely to religious offense, parents should expect extra scrutiny and the real possibility of a courtroom fight.
2) Nutella
Nutella sounds cute to some parents, but officials tend to see a jar of hazelnut spread, not a baby. International coverage of outlawed names points out that Nutella has been rejected abroad, and U.S. discussions of naming rules now treat it as a textbook example of what can go wrong when a brand becomes a first name. Lists of American restrictions, including one that groups Majesty and Nutella, show how quickly a novelty idea can be framed as a legal problem.
Inside the United States, states generally bar names that look like advertising or infringe on trademarks, which is where Nutella runs into trouble. Clerks can argue that putting a corporate product on a birth certificate blurs the line between a person and a brand. Even in states that do not spell this out, parents who push for Nutella risk delays, hearings, or being told to pick a more conventional spelling that does not match the protected mark.
3) Ikea
Ikea lands in the same bucket as Nutella, only this time the mental image is flat-pack furniture and blue-and-yellow warehouses. Global lists of forbidden names highlight Ikea alongside Lucifer and Nutella, and U.S. explainers on illegal baby names repeat it as a cautionary tale about turning a multinational company into a child’s legal identity. When American outlets walk through “from Majesty to Nutella” style examples, Ikea is often right there in the mix.
U.S. naming rules rarely mention Ikea by name, but they do warn against names that could cause “confusion” or look like commercial speech. A clerk who sees Ikea on a form can lean on those rules to say no, especially if they believe the company might object. For parents, the bigger takeaway is that once a word is strongly tied to a global brand, it is far more likely to be treated as off-limits than as a quirky, Scandinavian-flavored first name.
4) Baby Santa
Baby Santa sounds like a joke on a holiday card, yet some parents have tried to make it official. Coverage of U.S. naming disputes notes that attempts to register Baby Santa have run into resistance from vital records offices that see it as a fictional character, not a serious legal name. Other roundups of banned names in the United States list Santa Claus alongside King, Queen, Majesty, Jesus Christ and III as examples that courts have already rejected.
Officials argue that tying a child’s identity to a mythical figure invites ridicule and undermines the dignity of government records. Parents who push for Baby Santa can be ordered to choose something else before a birth certificate or Social Security number is issued. The fight over this name shows how state agencies try to draw a line between playful nicknames, which families can still use at home, and the formal names that appear on lifelong documents.
5) King
King is a popular choice in some communities, but in parts of the country it has become a legal red flag. A detailed breakdown of New York’s rules explains that King is on a list of names that courts have blocked because they are considered titles rather than personal names. Another guide to names that courts have banned in New York repeats King in a lineup that also includes Queen, Jesus Christ, III, Santa Claus and Majesty.
Elsewhere, commentators citing U.S. birth certificates say King is one of several names that are “illegal in the United States,” even though the underlying rules are actually state specific. The logic is that calling a child King could create confusion with real royal titles or official ranks. For parents, that means a name that sounds powerful on paper might trigger a flat rejection, depending on which state office they are dealing with.
6) Queen
Queen runs into almost identical trouble, especially in New England. A rundown of Massachusetts naming rules notes that Queen is not allowed on birth certificates because it is treated as regal nomenclature, grouped with other royal titles that state officials want to keep out of legal records. Lists of banned U.S. names from other outlets echo that stance, placing Queen alongside King, Majesty and Jesus Christ as examples of names that have already been challenged.
Commentators who lean on the same birth certificate data argue that Queen is effectively illegal wherever courts follow similar reasoning. The concern is not just about royalty; it is also about avoiding names that sound like claims to status or authority. Parents who love the vibe of Queen often end up nudged toward alternatives like Queena or Quinn, which keep the sound without triggering the title rule.
7) Majesty
Majesty takes the royal-title problem and turns it into a full sentence. International explainers on naming laws list Majesty as one of several honorifics that regulators have tried to keep off birth certificates, and U.S. roundups of banned names repeat it in the same breath as King and Queen. One widely shared list of names that have been ruled illegal in the United States includes Majesty alongside Adolf Hitler, Santa Claus and III.
State rules that ban “royal titles” give clerks a straightforward reason to reject Majesty, arguing that it sounds like a formal style used for monarchs rather than a given name. That approach lines up with broader commentary that, “in several states, naming your child after a royal title is illegal to avoid confusion with actual royalty.” For parents, Majesty has become a test case for how far courts will go to stop names that read like built-in honorifics.
8) North
North is famous as a celebrity baby name, yet it has still landed on official no-go lists in other countries. A report on international naming rules notes that New Zealand banned North as part of a group of 38 names, even though it is a Kardashian favorite in the United States. Another piece on how other countries treat American-style names points out that these bans surprise U.S. parents who assume directional words are always fair game.
Inside the U.S., North is not broadly illegal, but its treatment abroad has influenced how officials and commentators talk about it. Some state rules already discourage names that look like compass points or generic words, and New Zealand’s decision gives them a ready-made example of why. For parents, the message is that even seemingly simple names can run into trouble once they start to look more like labels than personal identities.
9) Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler is one of the clearest examples of a name that courts have moved to shut down. A detailed look at U.S. bans lists Adolf Hitler among names that have been rejected because of their ties to historical atrocities and the likelihood of harm to the child. Other explainers on illegal baby names in the United States repeat Adolf Hitler as the go-to example when they discuss where free speech ends and state protection begins.
Judges who block this name typically cite the risk of harassment, the glorification of Nazism and the state’s interest in preventing clear psychological harm. Commentators summarizing these rulings argue that, if any name crosses the line into unacceptable hate speech, it is Adolf Hitler. That makes it a rare case where there is broad agreement that the government can step in and say no, even in a country that usually gives parents wide latitude.
10) Jesus
Jesus is widely used in Spanish-speaking communities, but some U.S. officials have tried to limit how far religious names can go. Coverage of American naming rules notes that certain states have pushed back on Jesus and especially Jesus Christ, arguing that government documents should not appear to endorse a specific religious figure. Other explainers, citing illegal baby names, list Jesus Christ alongside King, Queen, Majesty and Santa Claus as names that have already been ruled out in court.
The result is a patchwork: in many places, Jesus is perfectly legal, while in others, officials treat the full phrase Jesus Christ as crossing a line. The stakes are bigger than one name, because these fights test how far states can go in regulating religious expression on birth certificates. Parents considering explicitly sacred names are learning that the answer can change dramatically from one jurisdiction to the next.
11) 1069
Finally, 1069 shows what happens when parents try to turn a number into a name. A breakdown of Massachusetts rules explains that 1069 is not allowed because the state bars numerals and symbols in given names, and similar guidance in New York treats number-only names as invalid entries. A broader look at U.S. restrictions notes that many states ban names “with numbers, symbols, obscenities or royal titles,” using 1069 as a shorthand for the numeric side of that rule.
Officials say numbers cause headaches for databases, ID systems and law enforcement records that expect alphabetic characters. Parents who try to register 1069 are usually told to spell it out or choose something else entirely before the birth certificate can be processed. The case of 1069 underlines a key theme running through all these examples: even in a country that prizes individual choice, baby names still have to fit inside the practical limits of law and bureaucracy.
Supporting sources: 11 baby names, popular US baby.
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