Reuters/Carlo Allegri
Naming your baby "Facebook" won't fly in certain countries.
- In the US, parents can name their children pretty much whatever they like.
- But other countries around the world are more strict about baby names.
- Some names are banned because officials believe it will harm the child, and other names are banned to maintain the country's cultural identity.
Parents in the US have a lot of leeway when it comes to naming their children.
Just look at siblings Adolf Hitler, JoyceLynn Aryan Nation, and Heinrich Hinler Hons as an example. Though you could argue there were other repercussions, their parents were totally within their legal rights according to New Jersey law to give their kids these Nazi-themed names.
And though some states do have restrictions on what parents can name their children for certain practical reasons, the US Constitution affords parents a great deal of autonomy in raising their kids.
Other countries, however, take a different view, many feeling that if a parent doesn't have their child's best interest at heart when naming them, it's the government's responsibility to step in. And other countries are particularly concerned about maintaining cultural identity.
Here are some of the names banned around the world: