You're having a baby and you want to name them Taylor, Ashley, Riley, Morgan or Jordan but guess what, in Germany and Denmark, that isn't allowed. Some countries around the rules have strict rules about naming children that may surprise you.
Countries with weird naming rules include:
- Portugal - Believe it or not, there is an 80-page guide that clearly states what names are permitted in the country. You won’t see anybody named Charlotte or Dylan, because foreign names are a no-no, and so are nicknames, so all kids must have a full name, nothing like Tom or Kate. You also can’t name your child after your favorite movie or TV character, because pop culture names are forbidden.
- Germany – Forget about using Taylor, or Morgan to name your kid because children’s names cannot be gender neutral (Denmark also has this rule), plus last names aren’t allowed to be used for first names either.
- Malaysia – “Nature” names are forbidden, so you won’t see any Malaysian kids named River or Bear.
- Saudi Arabia – Names “found to contradict the culture or religion” of the country are banned, so names with royal connotations aren’t allowed, and neither are kids named after Muslim prophets, like Mohammad.
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