‘Offensive’ baby name rejected for having explicit slang definition

Parents in New Zealand were forced to choose a new moniker for their newborn after the name was rejected for being sexually suggestive.

Officials have issued a warning to parents after rejecting an “offensive” baby name over its sexually explicit slang meaning.

The New Zealand government has released a list of 40 monikers it banned parents from using in 2024 using data from the Te Tari Taiwhenua Internal Affairs, the public service department tasked with registering new births in the country.

Of the almost 60,000 babies born across the ditch, King was declined the highest number of times last year, making it the most popular rejected name of 2024.

Prince came in second, while Princess came in third.

Variations on the spellings, including Prynce, Pryncè and Pryncess, also failed to get the tick of approval.

New Zealand officials rejected an ‘inappropriate’ baby name rejected for having an explicit slang definition. Picture: iStock

Most names declined by the department were related to royalty and religion, including Bishop, Allah, Royal, Messiah, Emperor, Duke and Sovereign.

But there were a few that stood out to officials for being “offensive”, the New Zealand Herald reports.

The names “Indica” and “Sativa” – two separate strains of cannabis – were rejected, as was the name “Fanny”, a slang word often used to described female genitalia in Western countries.

It’s not the first time Fanny has been declined by NZ officials, with the moniker getting the thumbs down in 2023 too.

In 2024, New Zealand’s Department of Internal Affairs registered 59,199 births with a total of 19,404 unique names.

The department’s job is to review proposed baby names to ensure they are not offensive and do not resemble a rank or title without justification.

Names also must not be “unreasonably long,” or include symbols or numbers.

The name Fanny was banned as well as the names Indica and Sativa – two separate strains of cannabis. Picture: iStock

Each application must meet the rigorous criteria, with staff also assessing how the name is spelt and sounds, as well as how the name may impact how a person is treated, and why the parents wanted to register that name.

Before a name is rejected, Internal Affairs can seek “more information from the parents on some proposed names”, and in 71 instances in 2024, an alternative name was registered, the NZ Herald added.

“Each name or combination of names is considered on its merits and will only be declined if the Registrar-General believes it does not meet the legislative criteria,” the Department of Internal Affairs told the publication.

“We continue to urge parents to think carefully about names. Names are a gift. Generally, the name registered will be with the individual for the rest of their lives.”

Most names declined by the department were related to royalty and religion. Picture: iStock

It comes after McCrindle’s 2025 Australian Baby Names report revealed the classic baby names that have completely fallen out of favour Down Under.

Michael, a boys name once dubbed one of the “most popular monikers of the past century”, is now so unpopular it has dropped 32 places from position 72 in the top 100 chart, down to position 104.

Charles, which came in at number 99 last year, has also now become irrelevant after ranking in spot 121.

There were some once popular girls names that have also dropped off the annual list, including Thea, down 93 spots to position 188, and Quinn which fell from spot 91 to 111.

McCrindle said the decline in classic names comes as Australian parents shun long names in favour of shorter variations.

“After surveying different generations of parents and those planning to become parents across the nation, we found there is a preference for unique names over traditional ones,” the report states.

“This trend is being driven by younger generations, who are embracing unique names more than any generation before them.”

‘We continue to urge parents to think carefully about names.’ Picture: iStock

With a growing preference for unique names, there’s an increasing trend towards traditional names being modified through spelling changes and shortenings to create new variations.

“Nicknames are continuing to be used as fist names, with names like Leo (short for Leonardo), Billy (William), and Tommy (Thomas) emerging for boys, and there’s an even greater surge towards nicknames for girls such as Frankie (Frances), Elsie (Elisabeth), and Lottie (Charlotte),” Ashley Fell, social researcher and McCrindle’s director of advisory, said.

Full list of names declined in New Zealand in 2024

King – proposed 11 times

Prince – proposed 10 times

Princess – proposed four times

Name with no surname – proposed three times

Rogue – proposed three times

Sativa – proposed three times

Caesar – proposed two times

JP – proposed two times

Pryncess – proposed two times

Name with ` symbol – proposed once

Allah – proposed once

Állah – proposed once

Bishop – proposed once

Crown – proposed once

Crownos – proposed once

Duke – proposed once

Emperor – proposed once

Fanny – proposed once

General – proposed once

Ice – proposed once

Indica – proposed once

Juke – proposed once

Justice – proposed once

KC – proposed once

Kingi – proposed once

Kingz – proposed once

Kyng – proposed once

Lady – proposed once

Majesty – proposed once

Major – proposed once

Messiah – proposed once

Mighty – proposed once

Prinz – proposed once

Prynce- proposed once

Queen – proposed once

Roil – proposed once

Royal – proposed once

Royallty – proposed once

Saint – proposed once

Sovereign – proposed once

Originally published as ‘Offensive’ baby name rejected for having explicit slang definition