Naming Your Baby in New York: Rules and Restrictions You Need To Know

Naming your baby is exciting for any parent, but did you know that there are some rules and restrictions when it comes to baby names in New York State?

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The first thought a parent might have is, “Why does New York get a say in what I name my own kid?” Well, it turns out that birth certificate issuance falls under state jurisdiction. That means each state has the power to set rules and regulations for recording births and issuing those all-important birth certificates.

In New York, the first and middle names cannot be longer than 30 characters each, and last names shouldn't exceed 40 characters. Also, numbers and symbols are completely banned from names in the state.

The intent behind the ruling to ban certain names, name lengths, numbers, and symbols is to protect children from potential harm or discrimination caused to them because of the name their parents decided to give them.

Plus, no one wants a name that could be offensive, derogatory, or culturally insensitive hanging over their heads. So, these rules make sense in ensuring that children are given names that won't cause unnecessary trouble for the later in life.

While states don't outright ban specific names, there have been some court rulings on certain monikers. These are the names that you won’t be able to name your baby in New York, or anywhere else in the United States for that matter because they have also been deemed illegal by courts within the United States.