Did you know there are specific names that you cannot give to your baby in the US?
It turns out there are more than 10 names that are prohibited. While you can name your baby almost anything, there are a few restrictions.
The Today Show highlights that naming regulations can vary between states.
In states like California and New Jersey, obscene names are not allowed, whereas in Illinois and South Carolina, parents have the freedom to include numbers and symbols in their child’s name.
New York imposes a character limit on names, where first names can be a maximum of 30 characters, and last names cannot exceed 40 characters.
In Mississippi, the default is for babies to take their father’s surname unless otherwise requested.
For babies born in Louisiana, unless the mother is married, they are given the mother’s surname if she hasn’t married within 300 days.
Although naming rules can depend on the state where the child is born, USbirthcertificates.com reports there are 11 names that are illegal across the US.
As the new year begins, experts are forecasting some of the major baby name trends for 2026.
Colleen Slagen, who has been working as a professional baby namer since 2022, shared her insights with People about upcoming name trends for 2026.
Four years ago, Colleen left her position as a nurse practitioner to follow her passion for baby naming, which she frequently discusses on TikTok and in her new book, Naming Bebe: An Interactive Guide to Choosing the Baby Name You Love.
The expert anticipates that parents will favor ‘short, four-letter names’ in 2026 because they ‘feel effortlessly cool and are nickname-proof.’ For girls, names like Indi, Gwen, Lana, and Alba are expected to gain popularity, whereas for boys, names such as Luca, Rome, Elio, Dean, and Bode are likely to be in vogue.
“I have worked with so many families who have accidentally started this trend with their children and then continued it for the whole set!” Colleen told People.
She also foresees a trend in ‘Andi Anderson names,’ which pays tribute to early 2000s entertainment.
Colleen elaborated: “Us millennials have never forgotten Kate Hudson’s iconic role as Andi Anderson in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. So much so that it’s influencing our baby naming. Parents are using names for their daughters that are traditionally used for boys.”