Real Cases from Across Europe

Baby Names That Were Rejected in Europe

Most European countries have laws regulating what you can name your child. The goal is usually to protect the child from ridicule, preserve linguistic tradition, or both. The result? A fascinating collection of real rejection cases that range from the obviously inappropriate to the genuinely surprising.

🇸🇪 Sweden: The 43-letter protest name

Sweden's most famous naming case is also its most unpronounceable. In 1996, parents in Varberg submitted the name "Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116" for their five-year-old son. They claimed it was pronounced "Albin" and said it was a "pregnant, expressionist development" meant to protest Sweden's strict Naming Law (Namnlagen).

The Swedish Tax Agency rejected it. The parents then tried "A" (the single letter), which was also rejected. They were fined 5,000 kronor for failing to register a name. Sweden's naming law requires that names not cause "discomfort" to the bearer and must be approved by the Tax Agency (Skatteverket).

Check if your name is approved in Sweden →

🇫🇷 France: Nutella, Fraise, and Mini Cooper

France liberalized its naming laws in 1993, abolishing the old requirement that names come from an approved list of saints and historical figures. But civil registrars (officiers d'état civil) can still refer cases to a family court judge (juge aux affaires familiales) if they believe a name is against the child's best interests.

In 2015, a court in Valenciennes rejected "Nutella" as a first name, ruling that it would lead to mockery and was "contrary to the child's interest." The judge renamed the child "Ella." The same year, a judge in another case blocked "Fraise" (French for "strawberry"), noting the expression "ramène ta fraise" (roughly, "get your butt over here") would make it a source of teasing. The child was renamed "Fraisine," a legitimate old French name.

Other notable French rejections include "Mini Cooper" (a car brand, rejected in 2012), "Prince William" (rejected as it combined a title with a foreign reference), and "MJ" (rejected as initials rather than a name).

Check if your name is approved in France →

🇩🇪 Germany: Osama Bin Laden and Bierstüansen

Germany's Standesamt (civil registry) system evaluates every single baby name. The registrar must determine that the name is recognizable as a first name, indicates gender, and won't harm the child. This has produced some memorable rejections.

"Osama Bin Laden" was rejected for obvious reasons — harmful associations. "Bierstüansen" was rejected because it's not a recognized name in any culture. "Schroeder" was rejected because it's a surname, not a first name. "Woodstock" was blocked as a geographic/event name.

But Germany has also approved some surprising names: "Fanta" was accepted because it exists as a legitimate given name in several African cultures. "Pepsi-Carola" was allowed by a court. And "Matt-Eagle" was approved despite initial doubts.

Read the full Germany naming guide →

🇮🇸 Iceland: Where "Harriet" is illegal

Iceland's Naming Committee (Mannanafnanefnd) rejects names that most of the world considers perfectly ordinary — not because they're offensive, but because they don't fit Icelandic grammar. Every name must be declinable in all four Icelandic cases and use only letters in the Icelandic alphabet (which excludes C, Q, W, and Z).

"Harriet" was famously rejected because the name cannot be conjugated through the Icelandic case system. "Duncan" and "Enok" were rejected for the same reason. Meanwhile, "Camilla" fails because it contains the letter C.

The most famous Icelandic case involved Blær Bjarkardóttir Rúnarsdóttir, a girl who was listed as "Stúlka" ("Girl") on all official documents for 15 years because the committee classified "Blær" as a masculine name. She won the right to her name in court in 2013.

Read the full Iceland naming guide →

🇩🇰 Denmark: The 7,000-name list

Denmark operates with a pre-approved list of roughly 7,000 names. If you want a name that isn't on the list, you need permission from the local church parish (sognet) and potentially from the Ministry of Ecclesiastical Affairs (Kirkeministeriet).

About 1,100 names are rejected each year in Denmark, and about 15-20% of those rejections are overturned on appeal. Notable rejections include "Ansen" and "Jakansen" — both rejected because they resemble surnames (the "-sen" suffix is the most common Danish surname ending). "Plansen" was also rejected for this reason. Denmark also famously rejected "Monkey" and "Ansen".

Check if your name is approved in Denmark →

🇪🇸 Spain: Caca, Judas, and Mandarina

Spain's naming rules, governed by the Ley del Registro Civil, prohibit names that are objectively harmful to the child, names that are surnames without naming tradition, and giving siblings the same name. While Spain is relatively flexible compared to Iceland or Portugal, some names have been firmly blocked.

"Caca" (which means exactly what you think) was rejected for obvious reasons. "Judas" was blocked due to its overwhelmingly negative cultural associations. "Hitler" was rejected — Spanish registrars have the power to refuse names that could bring harm or ridicule to the child. "Mandarina" (mandarin orange) was also rejected as it is not a recognized personal name.

Check if your name is approved in Spain →

🇮🇹 Italy: No Fridays allowed

Italian naming law (governed by the ordinamento dello stato civile and DPR 396/2000) prohibits names that are ridiculous or shameful. The most famous case involved parents in Genoa who tried to name their son "Venerdì" (Friday) in 2008. An Italian court blocked the name, ruling it would expose the child to ridicule — likely due to its association with Robinson Crusoe's servant character.

Italy also prohibits giving a child the same name as their living father, and names cannot be exclusively surnames. "Andrea" is strictly a male name in Italy (unlike in English-speaking countries), and a court once intervened when parents tried to give it to a girl, though this has become more flexible.

Check if your name is approved in Italy →

Why do these laws exist?

It's easy to laugh at some of these cases, but European naming laws generally exist for a consistent reason: to protect the child. A child named "Nutella" or "Caca" would face a lifetime of teasing. A child in Iceland named with letters that don't exist in the alphabet would face constant bureaucratic confusion.

The cultural dimension matters too. Countries like Iceland and Portugal see their naming traditions as part of their national identity and linguistic heritage — something worth actively preserving through law.

Whatever your perspective on naming freedom, one thing is clear: if you're having a baby in Europe, it's worth checking the rules before you get attached to a name.

Last updated: April 2026. This article is for informational purposes only. All cases mentioned are based on publicly reported real events. Always consult local authorities for definitive naming rules.