I’m always curious about Italian laws that may seem unusual compared to laws in the States. The naming of babies is regulated by law in Italy, and some parts of the law may surprise you. It certainly got my attention.
Did you know that sixteen specific names are banned for new babies born in Italy? These are Friday (Venerdì), Blue (Blu), Snow White (Biancaneve), Ikea, Nutella, Nike, Goku, Moby Dick, Count Dracula, Maradona, Pelé, Napoleon, Adolf Hitler, Lenin, Benito Mussolini, and Osama Bin Laden. These fall under Article 34 of DPR 396/2000, which states that “it is forbidden to give a child…ridiculous or shameful names.”
According to that same Article 34, “it is forbidden to give a child the same first name as the living father, a living brother, or a living sister, or a surname as a first name.”
To make things even more exact, according to Article 35 of DPR 396/2000, the name given to the child must correspond to their gender and may consist of a single name or multiple names, even if separated, not exceeding three. If two or more names are given, separated by commas, the civil registrar and the registry officer must report only the first name on the birth extracts and certificates.”
Surnames also are strictly controlled by Italian law. The Constitutional Court in April 27, 2022 has established that the child’s surname “must be composed of the surnames of parents,” in the order decided by them. The exception would be if the parents mutually agreed to attribute only one of their surnames. If no mutual agreement exists, then a judge would need to intervene.
Italian law has also considered circumstances of children born abroad and thus have dual citizenship. “The Italian civil registrar will proceed to register the birth act, attributing the surname as indicated in the birth certificate. In this case, parents must present valid documentation proving the child’s foreign citizenship.”
Learning about these regulations regarding naming a baby in Italy prompted me to wonder about other countries and whether they had laws related to baby names as well. And I found out that they do.
In the US, these laws exist but are handled at the state level, and almost any name is allowed except a name consisting of symbols and obscenities.
California and New York are known to have some of the strictest naming rules of all the states. In California, accent marks (like the accent in José) are banned on birth certificates. Also, derogatory names are banned and only the 26 characters of the English alphabet are allowed. Smiley faces and thumbs-up emojis are specifically banned.
And in New York, the first and middle names are limited to 30 characters each, and last names to 40 characters. Numbers and symbols are totally banned The intent is to protect children from potential discrimination or fallout as a result of the name their parents chose for them.
The UK also has great leeway for parents naming their babies, but in extreme or abusive cases, the registry offices are permitted to intervene.
Offensive names or those that are almost impossible to pronounce are not permitted.
While there is no official list of banned names, here are some that have been denied: Cyanide, King, Martian, and Princess. It’s the duty of the General Register Office (GRO) and local register offices and their individual officers to approve or deny a name.
While approximately 30 countries have some types of laws regulating baby names, four countries have particularly strict laws in place. These include Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Iceland.
In Germany, one must be able to decipher the child’s gender by their first name. In addition, the name cannot have a negative effect on the well being of the child. Also, the first name cannot be a last name, a product, or an object. All names must be approved by the Standesamt, the German civil registration office.
New laws became effective in May of 2025 regulating the surnames, and these are quite complicated, as they aim to provide more flexibility for spouses and children. They involve:
- The Introduction of True Double Surnames
- Automatic Rule for Unmarried Parents / Disagreements
- Retroactive Changes for Existing Children
- Inclusion of Stepchildren and Patchwork Families
- Recognition of Cultural and Gender-Adapted Names
For details on these laws, please refer to this website: https://www.germany.info/us-en/2712672-2712672.
In Denmark, laws exist to protect children from having odd names, and parents can choose from an approved list of 7,000 names. If they wish to name their child something that is not on the list, they need special permission from their local church. Then the name will be reviewed by governmental officials. Like Germany, the first name needs to indicate the child’s gender, and first name cannot be a last name. Laws also exist for Danish last names.
In Sweden, first names must be reported to the Tax Agency for approval. First names will not be approved if they can cause offense or discomfort. Names can also be rejected if they are not suitable as a first name. In Sweden, multiple first names are allowed, but if later in life you wish to change your first name, you are obligated to keep at least one of your original first names. For example, if you were called Otto and you wanted to change your name to Liam, your new name would be Liam Otto. Also, you can only change your name once. So interesting,
In Iceland, parents must choose a name that is on the National Register of Persons. If they wish to choose another name not on that list, they need to apply for it to be approved. For a name to be approved, it must pass certain tests. For example, it can only contain letters from the Icelandic alphabet and must also fit grammatically with the Iceland language. The name cannot be one that could embarrass the child in the future. And like Germany and Sweden, first names must be gender specific. Only three 3 personal names are allowed.
I always like to learn something new about Italy, and in this post, I discovered new things about other countries as well.
I’d love to know what you think, so please leave a comment.
Grazie and Ciao
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Anonymous
Very informative, thank you.