Banned baby names: Velociraptor among more than 40 baby names banned by Finnish government last year in 2024

It’s bad news for parents who are looking to call their newborn ‘Velociraptor’ – namely, you can’t, at least not in Finland.

That’s according to the country’s Ministry of Justice’s Names Board, which has released the list of new baby names it approved last year, but also the ones it rejected.

More than 40 baby names were rejected by the board in 2024, with Uncle, Mimers and Entropy being added to Finland’s banned baby names list alongside the dinosaur made famous by the Jurassic Park franchise.

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There are more than 120,000 approved names in Finland, which is what parents can choose from when they are choosing what to call their child.

It’s also what adults who are looking to change their name can choose from, with the board reviewing any new name that parents or others want to use as they come in.

According to local law, everyone needs to have at least one first name, but nobody is allowed more than four.

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Banned baby names around the world revealed

That same law also stipulates that any name by itself or in combination with other first and last names can’t be offensive or harmful.

If there is a case that is unclear in terms of a name’s appropriateness, the Names Board reviews it, but the Digital and Population Data Services Agency makes the final decision.

The Names Board was busy in 2024, not only rejecting more than 40 names but also approving dozens of new names for use, including Zuge and Ecthelion.

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It comes more than five years after Finland made efforts to loosen the strict naming convention laws, creating more leeway for families with foreign backgrounds.

Finland isn’t the only country that has naming restrictions in place, with Australia also banning the use of names that are obscene or offensive, contrary to the public interest, or even ones that are too long.

More than 80 names are banned in Australia, and most of them are in relation to official title or rank – including King, Prince, Prime Minister and Lady.

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Harry Potter, Nutella and Monkey are also among the baby names banned in Australia.

Though notably in 2023, journalist Kirsten Drysdale successfully registered her third child’s name as ‘Methamphetamine Rules’ in an experiment testing if New South Wales Births, Deaths and Marriages would accept and record the name.

Baby names Finland rejected in 2024

Aiit

Annelé

Ariån

Boothill

Cataléya

Cj

Daniiel

Eedwin

Elinssyster

Entropy

Erkinson

Frideving

Hannx

Herra

Jupinatha

K-H

Kiikers

Kouhija

Marask

Mattisdottir

Mimers

Myrskylä

Myrskynsilmä

Naavalynn

Paroni

Pbelle

Phalsky

Piipitin

Radac

Reidsky

Reponveli

Sisiliåno

Tuomioherra

Tyks

Tziyon

Uljanov

Uncle

Velociraptor

Väiinö

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