Under New Zealand federal law, registered names cannot be offensive, resemble a title or rank, be unreasonably long, or include numbers or symbols.
Find out what baby names are declining in popularity for 2025
BabyCenter revealed a list of the baby names that are declining in popularity for 2025.
What do Rogue, Crown, Fanny and Mighty all have in common? They are all baby names rejected by New Zealand‘s federal government last year.
New Zealand‘s Department of Internal Affairs recently published a full list of names (40, to be exact) that were requested and rejected in 2024. The majority resemble a title or rank, such as King, which was requested and denied 11 times. Prince and Princess were also requested, in addition to alternative spellings like Pryncess and Prynce.
Names with ties to marijuana were also requested and rejected − Sativa and Indica, which are two popular marijuana strains. Both were only requested and rejected once.
“We continue to urge parents to think carefully about names. Names are a gift. Generally, the name registered will be with the individual for the rest of their lives,” a document published by New Zealand’s Department of Internal Affairs states.
Here’s a look at the full list of names that were declined last year and the reasoning behind why.
What names were declined?
Can’t see the chart above? Visit public.flourish.studio/visualisation/23074442/.
Why were these names declined?
According to New Zealand’s 2021 Births, Deaths, Marriages and Relationships Registration Act, names cannot:
Be offensiveResemble a title or rank without adequate justificationBe unreasonably longInclude numbers or symbols
Names that may fall into one of the above categories is reviewed to determine how it make be perceived in the community, how it is spelt and sound when spoken, how the name could impact others, and when appropriate, why the parents wish to register the name, according to a documents published by New Zealand’s Department of Internal Affairs.
If a name is declined, the parents of the child are contacted and are able to provide further justification for the name they requested. Often though, a new name is chosen, federal documents state.
What other countries have strict baby naming laws?
Aside from New Zealand, some other countries with strict baby naming laws include Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Iceland, according to legal advisor Angie Newnham.
The U.S., on the other hand, has very few restrictions on baby names, with each state having its own set of rules. Generally, names are allowed if they are not obscene or derogatory, and some states have limitations on symbols and special characters being added.
For example, in Texas, a baby’s first, middle, and last names are restricted to a maximum of 100 letters total, with special characters, numbers and diacritical marks being prohibited.
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.