Did you know that there are certain rules and regulations that folks in Maine need to follow when naming their children?

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While Maine is generally more relaxed compared to other New England states and the entire country, there are specific names that are off-limits for our kiddos.

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Credit: Canva / Getty Stock
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That being said, you won't find these names on a Mainer's driver's license.

USBirthCertificates.com reports that very few names are banned in the United States. This is, in part, due to the interpretation of the U.S. Constitution, which supports a parent's right to choose their children's names as a form of expression.

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Credit: Canva / Getty Stock
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However, let's talk about having common sense, even if recently it seems like folks are having less and less of it.

While some states have stricter naming laws, Maine only restricts names banned nationwide. In fact, in New England, Maine boasts the least strict baby-naming laws.

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Credit: Canva / Getty Stock
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In Connecticut, you have the freedom to choose any name as long as it's not for fraudulent or nefarious purposes, does not infringe on someone else's rights, and uses English characters.

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Credit: Canva / Getty Stock
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Massachusetts limits baby names to letters found on the standard English keyboard, so no æ, ë, or ñ, unfortunately.

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Credit: Canva / Getty Stock
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In New Hampshire, the total number of characters for first, middle, and last names must not exceed 100.

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Credit: Canva / Getty Stock
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Rhode Island doesn’t allow diacritical marks—any mark, shape, stroke, or sign added or attached to a letter for a particular reason—on birth certificates, but it does allow parents to use Aña or Zoë on other documents.

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Credit: Canva / Getty Stock
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Vermont permits the use of trademarked names, diseases, and obscenities, although they strongly advise against it.

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Credit: Canva / Getty Stock
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Moreover, many states mandate at least two names on a birth certificate—a family name and a given name chosen by a parent. In some states, when parents are married at the time of their child's birth, the child must take the father's surname, while in others, the child may take the mother's maiden name if both parents agree.

Keep scrolling to see the baby names banned in Maine, throughout the United States, and around the world!

BANNED BABY NAMES

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Stacker scoured hundreds of baby name databases and news releases to curate a list of baby names that are illegal somewhere in the world, along with explanations for why they’re banned.

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Stacker highlighted one of the least-used baby names from each year between 1950 and 2022, using data from the Social Security Administration.

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