Black VoicesBaby Namesbanned-baby-namesPoetic justice

Banned Baby Names: Justice Just As Bad As Anal And 4Real, One Country Says

Don't Even Think About Naming Your Child This
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Kendrick Lamar may have brought the name Justice back to mind, but don't think about naming your child after the song's gum-chewing, box-braid-wearing, 1993 muse just yet -- particularly if you live in New Zealand.

In what they're calling concern for the welfare of kids, the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages has prohibited parents from naming their newborn babies things like "Justice," "Lucifer," "Mafia No Fear," "Anal," and "A.J.," a few of the nearly 80 names the country has banned over the last 12 years.

According to the registrar, a name may be rejected if it is thought to "cause offense to a reasonable person," is "unreasonably long" or "resemble an official title and rank," Gawker explains. That means "King", "Duke" and "Princess" are out, too.

Hear that, T.I. and Tiny?

But if 2010 research by European dating website eDarling holds any weight, New Zealand officials may not be completely without reason. A poorly chosen baby name can lead to lower self-esteem, fewer relationship opportunities, higher likelihood of smoking and less education later in life, the survey showed.

Here's a look at the 10 most commonly rejected names on the registrar's list, including how many times it's been rejected, and some American favorites in the slideshow below.

  1. Justice: 62
  2. King: 31
  3. Princess: 28
  4. Prince: 27
  5. Royal: 25
  6. Duke: 10
  7. Major: 9
  8. Bishop: 9
  9. Majesty: 7
  10. J: 6

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Before You Go

Top Baby Names Of 2013 So Far
Marnie (01 of13)
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The 60s-ish nickname-name Marnie had its first moment in the sun in the, well, 60s, when the eponymous Hitchcock movie came out, and now is enjoying an unlikely resurgence thanks to the Marnie character played by the lovely Allison Williams on HBO’s Girls, and to its choice by pop singer Lily Allen for her younger daughter. Interest in Marnie, a variation of a Hebrew name meaning rejoice, has shot up sevenfold on our site over the first quarter of last year. (credit:Jessica Miglio)
Marlowe(02 of13)
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Marlowe and to a lesser extent Marlow are enjoying big bounces in the first part of this year thanks to a bumper crop of starbabies: Sienna Miller’s Marlowe Ottoline, Nathan Followill’s Violet Marlowe, and Jason Schwartzman’s Marlowe – all girls – along with designer Phoebe Philo’s son Marlow. Not to mention 16th century dramatist Christopher Marlowe. The English surname, which you might think of as a fresh spin on the flaggingMarley, means driftwood and is up over 350 percent, primarily for girls.Pictured: Actress Sienna Miller arrives at the Weinstein Company Golden Globe After Party at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Sunday Jan. 13, 2013, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Dab Steinberg/Invision/AP) (credit:AP)
Christian(03 of13)
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Christian has been a popular name for boys for two decades now, yet interest in it has tripled in the first quarter of 2013 over the same period last year. What happened? "Fifty Shades of Grey" and hero Christian Grey added their notoriety to the already-romantic image conveyed by actors Christian Bale and Christian Slater along with designers Christian Dior, Lacroix, and Laboutin. (credit:Alamy)
Nelly(04 of13)
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The sweetly old-fashioned diminutive Nelly, which appeared only briefly on the Top 1000 more than a century ago, is basking in new light thanks to singer Nelly Furtado as well as its use as a nickname for Kardashian baby Penelope “Nelly” Disick. Cute! Originally a short form for Helen or Eleanor, Nelly and sister names Nellie and Nell have been off the official scope for several decades but Nelly is up in our statistics nearly 300 percent for 2013. (credit:Alamy)
Mavis(05 of13)
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Mavis is suddenly hot, on the heels of her sleek cousin Maeve, thanks to the adorable vampire heroine of Hotel Transylvania, voiced by Selena Gomez. As with Finn, many parents mistakenly think Maeve is a diminutive that demands a more formal long form, which is another explanation for Mavis’s sudden 250 percent rise. Mavis is French for songbird and also derives from the Welsh word for strawberries.Pictured: Actress Selena Gomez poses with characters from the animated film "Hotel Transylvania" at a premiere during the 37th annual Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Nathan Denette) (credit:AP)
Thor(06 of13)
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Hunky Chris Hemsworth and The Avengers did for the Thor what the god of Norse mythology could not: Made it a popping baby name for 2013. Views of the name Thor, which means thunder, are up over 200 percent in the first three months of this year, joining other newly-cool mythological names such as Orion, Juno, Jupiter, and Persephone.Pictured: In this publicity film image released by Disney, Chris Hemsworth portrays Thor, left, and and Chris Evans portrays Captain America, in a scene from "The Avengers," expected to be released on May 4, 2012. (AP Photo/Disney, Zade Rosenthal, File) (credit:AP)
Severine (07 of13)
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Severine may be past its prime in its native France, but its use for the latest Bond Girl in Skyfall has won it new interest as a baby name possibility. With views up more than 200 percent on Nameberry in the first part of the year, Severine joins Harry Potteresque brother name Severus -- they both mean, not surprisingly, severe or stern -- as a fresh 21st. century choice. (credit:MGM)
Bruce (08 of13)
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Bruce? As in Willis, Springsteen, Jenner, Lee, maybe even your Dad? Midcentury favorite Bruce, a top 50 name throughout the 1950s, sagged under an effeminate image but now is attracting new interest as the real name of both The Hulk and Batman. This Norman place-name got its original big break as the surname of Scottish king Robert the Bruce, who won independence from England in the 14th century. It’s up nearly 200 percent so far on Nameberry this year.Pictured: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 18: Bruce Springsteen performs for fans with the E Street Band during his Wrecking Ball Tour at Allphones Arena on March 18, 2013 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Wilder(09 of13)
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Wilder is a newly hot baby name that wants to have it both ways: It’s a bad boy name as well as a literary choice thanks to playwright Thornton, who wrote the classic Our Town, and Little House author Laura Ingalls. Despite those gentle references, we can’t help associating Wilder with crazier. Views of Wilder are up nearly 200 percent for 2013. (credit:Alamy)
Phaedra(10 of13)
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Phaedra is an ancient mythological name with a tragic backstory that’s finding new life in the modern world. This Greek name meaning bright has a rich literary history. But it may be the Real Housewife of Atlanta named Phaedra who’s responsible for the name’s 178 percent rise so far this year. Pictured: Phaedra Parks from "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" attends the Bravo Network 2013 Upfront on Wednesday April 3, 2013 in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) (credit:AP)
Mingus(11 of13)
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This surname of jazz great Charles was first used as a baby name by supermodel Helena Christensen. Interest in Mingus is up over 150 percent in the first three months of this year, and other jazzy names finding new fans include Miles, Ella, Calloway, Ellington,Etta, and Thelonious. Mingus is up over 150 percent so far in 2013. (credit:Alamy)
Linnea(12 of13)
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This Top 10 Swedish name is attracting new attention here as a more exotic member of the popular floral family of girls’ names: It means twinflower and is derived from the name of the renowned botanist botanist Carolus Linnaeus. It may be pronounced lin-NAY-ah or lin-NEE-ah. Linnea, also the name of a charming children’s book heroine, attracted over 150 percent more traffic in the first three months of 2013 than it did in the same period in 2012. (credit:Alamy)
Finnegan(13 of13)
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Finnegan is an Irish surname meaning “fair” that many parents are choosing as a long form for the popular Finn. Also embodying literary references to Finnegan’s Wake, by James Joyce, Finnegan has been on the US Top 1000 since 2005 and now stands at Number 478. Views of Finnegan are up over 125 percent on Nameberry in the first quarter of 2013. (credit:Shutterstock)
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