Why ‘1069’ is a banned baby name in US as bizarre list of prohibited names goes viral
There is a list of obscure banned baby names doing the rounds online, and people can't believe some of the inclusions.
You may be a fan of using safe, recognised names for babies that have spanned generations, but the majority of people nowadays try to be as different as possible with their newborns.
Long gone are the days of 'Jessica', 'Rebecca' and 'Jonathan', and hello to the days of 'X Æ A-12' and 'Zuma Nesta Rock'.
While naming your child after your favourite actor or sports star may seem appealing at first, the reality is that you can't name your child anything you want.
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Names in the UK that are banned include the likes of 'King', 'Cyanide' and even 'Martian' for their own reasons, but mostly to avoid clashing with official titles or to avoid the child being ridiculed by others.
The list of names in the US, though, is a lot more specific and includes more examples that would give you a chuckle.
It depends from state to state across the pond, though the majority forbids any numbers, symbols, obscenities or official titles, but a state like Arizona is quite relaxed when it comes to bizarre names and features like this.
All a name needs is standard characters, and for it to be short enough to fit on legal forms.
That means that Hulk is still on the table, for those wondering.
Most symbols are banned in states, though, such as '@' or '#', with numbers also forbidden in certain places - this is why Elon Musk was forced to change his son's name just a month after his birth due to the law in California stating that 'names must only use the 26 alphabetical letters of the English language'.
But specifically, '1069' is banned throughout the US for one reason after the likes of North Dakota and Minnesota ruled names out which consisted of numbers on their own due to the confusion it would cause for legal and administrative systems.
The man to blame is named Michael Herbert Dengler, after he tried to change his name to 1069 back in 1976 for what was noted as personal and philosophical reasons.
Courts denied his wishes, even after he suggested using 'One Zero Six Nine' instead.
It marked a milestone for US naming laws, as the nation now restricts names similar to this one.
In case you were wondering, having no name at all is also illegal - but if you want to see the full list of banned names in the US, then scroll further.
According to USBirthCertificates.com, here are the 11 names definitely banned in the USA"
- King
- Queen
- Jesus Christ
- Santa Claus
- Majesty
- Adolf Hitler
- Messiah
- @
- Nutella
- 1069
- III
Joshua Nair