Summarised by Centrist
According to data released under the Official Information Act, 71 baby name requests were rejected in 2024.
Despite creative spelling attempts, names linked to royalty, cannabis, and profanity continue to fall foul of strict naming laws.
King once again topped the banned list.
The Department of Internal Affairs declined names including Prince (10 requests), Princess, Queen, Royal, Caesar, and Duke, citing rules that prevent names resembling official titles or ranks without justification.
Variations like Prynce, Kingz, Kyng, and Prinz were also rejected.
Names inspired by cannabis – Sativa and Indica – were among those refused, along with Fanny, which was declined for being slang for female genitalia.
Names featuring symbols or numbers were similarly prohibited.
John Crawford-Smith, principal advisor for the department, reminded parents that “names are a gift” likely to follow individuals for life, urging thoughtful choices: “We continue to urge parents to think carefully about names.”
Under New Zealand law, a name must not be offensive, excessively long, include numerals or symbols, or mislead by resembling a title or position. The rejected list shows ongoing tensions between personal freedom and public standards.
In contrast, U.S. laws vary by state – some allow nearly anything, while others bar names like Adolf Hitler, Santa Claus, or @.
New Zealand’s system remains one of the more robust, regularly blocking names that officials deem inappropriate or absurd.
