Listicle · April 2026
20 Weirdest Baby Names Rejected in Europe
European courts have blocked some genuinely bizarre baby name attempts — from food brands to unpronounceable strings of letters. Here are 20 real cases of names that parents tried to register and judges refused.
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01
🇸🇪 Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116 — Sweden
In 1996, parents in Halmstad submitted this 43-character protest name, claiming it should be pronounced "Albin." The Skatteverket fined them 5,000 kronor. They then tried just "A" — also rejected. The case is the gold standard for absurd naming attempts.
02
🇫🇷 Nutella — France
In 2015, a couple in Valenciennes named their daughter Nutella. The court ruled the name was a "trade name of a spread, and giving it to a child can only lead to teasing or denigrating thoughts." The judge renamed her Ella.
03
🇮🇹 Venerdi (Friday) — Italy
A boy from Genoa, born in 2006, was named Venerdi. The Italian Court of Cassation ruled the name "ridiculous" in 2008 due to its association with Robinson Crusoe's servant. The child was renamed Gregorio. The European Court of Human Rights upheld the decision in 2014.
04
🇩🇪 Osama Bin Laden — Germany
A German court rejected this name due to its overwhelming negative associations. While the name "Osama" alone may be acceptable, the full historical reference was deemed harmful to the child's interests.
05
🇳🇿 Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii — (international parallel)
Although a New Zealand case, this 9-year-old was made a ward of the court in 2008 because her parents had given her this name. European courts often reference this case as the textbook example of "names that subject the child to ridicule" — the standard applied in France, Italy, and Germany.
06
🇪🇸 Caca — Spain
A Spanish court rejected this name for obvious reasons — "caca" means "poop" in Spanish. Despite Spain's permissive naming laws, the harm-to-child standard easily blocked this one.
07
🇳🇱 Lucifer — Netherlands & Germany
Multiple European countries have rejected "Lucifer" due to its devil association. Germany's GfdS has repeatedly opined against it, and Dutch courts have followed suit. Some countries do allow it — the UK has registered several Lucifers.
08
🇮🇸 Asparagus — Iceland (rumored)
Iceland's Mannanafnanefnd (Naming Committee) reviews around 100 names a year. Vegetable-themed names have been firmly blocked because they don't conform to Icelandic naming traditions or grammar rules.
09
🇫🇷 Fraise (Strawberry) — France
In 2015, a French court rejected this name based on the expression "ramener sa fraise" (to butt in). The judges felt the child would face teasing throughout life. The parents accepted the rejection.
10
🇳🇱 Loempia (Spring Roll) — Netherlands
A Dutch court blocked this Indonesian-Dutch food name. The Netherlands is otherwise permissive but flags names that are clearly food items.
11
🇸🇪 Metallica — Sweden
Initially rejected by the Skatteverket in 2007, parents appealed and finally won the right to name their daughter Metallica in 2009. The case became a turning point in Sweden's relaxation toward unusual names.
12
🇩🇪 Pumuckl — Germany
German parents tried to name their child after the kobold from a famous TV show. The Standesamt rejected it — cartoon character names that would clearly identify the child as the character are typically blocked.
13
🇪🇸 Mandarina — Spain
Spanish registrars rejected this fruit name (mandarin orange) because it is not a recognized personal name in any tradition. Spain's ban on names that aren't actual names blocked this attempt.
14
🇳🇱 Adolf Hitler — Germany & Netherlands
Predictably, multiple European countries have rejected this name. In Germany it's almost automatic. The Netherlands, France, and Spain have all refused similar variants for the same harm-to-child reason.
15
🇳🇴 Gesher (Bridge) — Norway
A Norwegian couple wanted to name their son after the Hebrew word for "bridge." Initially rejected because it's a common noun, the case eventually was approved on appeal as a name with established Israeli use.
16
🇩🇰 Anus — Denmark
Denmark, despite its enormous list of 50,000+ approved names, has firmly rejected names that would obviously cause ridicule. This was rejected by Familieretshuset without much debate.
17
🇮🇹 Andrea (for a girl) — Italy (historical)
In Italy, Andrea is strictly a male name. Italian courts have intervened multiple times when parents tried to give Andrea to a baby girl. While the rule has relaxed for established unisex names, this remains a famous example of Italy's gender-name strictness.
18
🇮🇸 Harriet — Iceland
A 10-year-old British-Icelandic girl living in Reykjavik wasn't issued a passport in 2014 because her name "Harriet" wasn't on the approved Icelandic name list. The case made international news. Iceland eventually accepted the name on appeal.
19
🇫🇷 Megane (Renault) — France
Initially questioned because of its association with the Renault Megane car, this name was actually approved by French courts. The judges noted that "Megane" had been used as a girl's name well before the car existed, and many parents have happily registered it.
20
🇸🇪 IKEA — Sweden
Swedish parents have tried multiple times to register IKEA as a baby name. The Skatteverket has consistently blocked it as a registered trademark. Other rejected brand names in Sweden include Superman and various car models.
What patterns emerge?
Looking at all 20 cases, four categories explain almost every rejection:
Brand and trademarks
Nutella, IKEA, Metallica (initially), Pumuckl. Courts protect children from being branded.
Ridicule potential
Venerdi, Caca, Anus, Talula DTHFH. The "harm to child" standard is broad.
Negative associations
Hitler, Osama Bin Laden, Lucifer. Names tied to evil or violence.
Not actual names
Brfxxcc..., Mandarina, Loempia. Random strings or common nouns.
Which countries reject the most?
Iceland (Mannanafnanefnd) and Germany (Standesamt) are the most active in rejecting names. France technically has a permissive law, but its prosecutor-referral system leads to several court cases per year. Sweden has loosened up significantly since the 2016 reform.
Want to see how strict each country is? Check our side-by-side comparison of all 25 European countries.
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Last updated: April 2026. Cases compiled from public court records and news reports.