25 Countries
Baby Name Laws by Country — 25 European Naming Rules
Every European country regulates first names in a different way. Some run an official list of approved names, some leave the decision to a registrar, and a few use a national naming committee. This index links to in-depth legal guides for all 25 European countries we cover — with registration deadlines, allowed scripts, naming-authority contacts and rejected-name cases. Use our free name checker to test any first name against the official rules.
Across 110,000+ names we cover Iberian, Nordic, Romance, Germanic, Slavic and Baltic naming traditions. Whether you are an expat family registering a birth abroad, a bilingual couple debating a cross-border name, or just curious about Europe's strangest naming rules, the country guides below answer your questions with sourced law citations.
All 25 countries
Tap any country for the full legal guide, popular names and rejected-name cases.
8,500 approved names
Permissive — no official list, only harm-based rejections.
12,000 approved names
Permissive since 1993 — judge can refer to family court only if harmful.
9,200 approved names
Moderate — Standesamt can consult the Gesellschaft fur deutsche Sprache.
7,800 approved names
Moderate — DPR 396/2000 bans ridiculous, shameful or surname-style names.
3,500 approved names
Strict — must come from IRN-approved list (~3,500 names).
4,400 approved names
Strict — Mannanafnanefnd approves every new name.
11,500 approved names
Permissive since 2016 — Skatteverket reviews only for offence or confusion.
10,000 approved names
Moderate — Folkeregisteret rejects names likely to harm the child.
33,000 approved names
Strict — 33,000-name approved list; new names need ministry approval.
8,000 approved names
Moderate — Names Act 946/2017 requires gender-matching, established use.
15,000 approved names
Permissive — registrar refuses only inappropriate or surname-style names.
12,000 approved names
Permissive — registrar can refuse only names harmful to the child.
10,000 approved names
Moderate — Zivilstandsamt rejects gender-confusing or harmful names.
8,500 approved names
Moderate — Personenstandsgesetz 2013 requires recognisable first names.
4,000 approved names
Traditional — Orthodox name tradition, grandparent naming custom.
15,000 approved names
Moderate — Civil Status Act bars ridiculous or foreign-only spellings.
7,200 approved names
Moderate — names must be grammatically declinable in Czech.
5,500 approved names
Moderate — Civil Code follows the Slovak name-day calendar.
4,500 approved names
Strict — Hungarian Academy of Sciences keeps the official list.
8,000 approved names
Permissive — Civil Code requires only that names not be ridiculous.
6,000 approved names
Moderate — Cyrillic and Latin scripts both accepted at registry.
5,500 approved names
Moderate — Personal Names Act 2012 bans names harming dignity.
4,500 approved names
Permissive — Personal Name Act prohibits only offensive names.
5,000 approved names
Moderate — must comply with Lithuanian grammatical endings.
4,500 approved names
Moderate — names must conform to Latvian declension and orthography.
By naming system
Strict (official list)
Portugal, Iceland, Denmark, Hungary
Names must be drawn from a closed national list, or formally petitioned. Iceland operates a naming committee; Portugal, Denmark and Hungary publish official approved-name lists.
Moderate
Germany, Italy, Norway, Finland, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, Czech, Slovakia, Serbia, Croatia, Lithuania, Latvia
Registrar has discretion to reject names that are harmful, gender-confusing or grammatically non-conformant. Czech and Lithuanian require grammatical declension; Slovak uses a name-day calendar.
Permissive
Spain, France, Sweden, Netherlands, Belgium, Romania, Slovenia
Civil registrar accepts virtually any name, intervening only when a name would cause the child manifest harm. Sweden became the most liberal after its 2016 reform.
Traditional
Greece
No statutory list but Orthodox saint-name custom and the grandparent naming tradition dominate civil-registry choices.
Top picks for multicultural families
If your child will hold passports from two European countries, you will want a first name that is legal and pronounceable in both. Our cross-border name guide lists names that pass in Spain + Germany, France + Italy, Sweden + Norway and every other major combination.
Safe universal picks include Sofia, Emma, Leo, Noah, Maria, Lucas, Olivia and Liam — legal in all 25 countries we cover.
Related sections
Rankings
Top baby names 2026 in 25 countries
Browse
Full European name database
Compare
Compare any two countries side-by-side
How-to
Register a baby name in Europe
Frequently asked questions
Which European country has the strictest baby name law?
Iceland is widely considered the strictest. Every new first name must be approved by the Mannanafnanefnd (Icelandic Naming Committee), which checks compatibility with Icelandic grammar and tradition. Hungary, Portugal and Denmark also run official approved-name lists.
Which European country has the most permissive baby name law?
Sweden has been the most permissive since the 2016 reform of the Names Act. Parents can pick virtually any name, and Skatteverket only rejects names judged genuinely offensive or causing the child obvious harm. France (since 1993), Belgium and the Netherlands are also very open.
Can I register a foreign baby name in Europe?
Yes in permissive countries (Spain, France, Belgium, Sweden, Netherlands, Romania, Slovenia). In strict-list countries such as Portugal, Iceland and Hungary you must either pick from the approved list or formally petition the naming authority. Cross-border families should check both countries.
Is the baby name law the same across the European Union?
No. The EU has no shared baby-naming law. Each member state regulates first names through its own civil-status code, and naming authorities range from a permissive registrar to a formal naming committee. EU citizenship does not override national naming rules.
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Check a Name →Last updated: 2026-05-13. For informational purposes only. Always consult your local civil registry for binding decisions.