Have you ever heard someone’s baby’s name and immediately thought, “There ought to be a ban?” Well, if you’re in the U.S., you’re out of luck because most names are acceptable here. But did you know that in France, you can’t name your baby “Nutella”? While it boggles the mind why anyone would do so (other than preventing baby name theft), there are countries where they have lists of banned baby names. Read on for some of them and let us know if you agree!
Why would a name be banned?
Thinking about a name for your baby? Check it out first
If you’re considering a more unusual name, you may want to check your state or county’s naming laws and restrictions first. Also, you may want to consider that names influence real life — especially how people will perceive your child.
After studying names in different regions of the world, a 2012 study found that the more unusual the name, the more likely that person would be considered risky or threatening. Researchers also noted how even simple statements were more credible if a person with a simple name instead of an unusual name said it.
“People draw subconscious cues all the time about people. You meet a person for the first time, and without thinking about it on an explicit level, you’re looking at the way they’re walking, what their accent sounds like, how they’re dressed, whether they smell … and you’re developing these immediate reactions,” David Figlio of Northwestern University in Illinois told Live Science. “We’re hardwired to try to figure out in a heartbeat whether or not we want to trust somebody, whether we want to run from somebody.”
