Forbidden Baby Names In North Dakota Revealed

Let's face it, what you name your child is pretty important.

A couple of our listeners just shared their photos of their precious baby girl on social media. They decided to name her Estelle, which I thought was perfect. Congrats to the happy couple and their newborn.

This got me thinking about baby names and how they have changed so much over the years.

Pick the wrong name and your kid could be paying for it for the rest of his or her life.  I had my son's name picked out well before I was even married.

It was premeditated, and to be honest, it would've been a deal-breaker if my future wife hadn't been on board with it.  Luckily, I found a woman who loved it from the get-go.

"Hunter" is what I had picked out.  It's a symbol of something extremely special to me and my life.

As it turned out, my son was one of several "Hunters" in his class growing up.  The name is certainly not unique and is especially more common in the upper Midwest.  I still love it and it fits him perfectly.

So, what are some of the most popular baby names right now, and do we actually have illegal or banned baby names in North Dakota?

First, the Top 5 Baby Names for Boys & Girls in North Dakota for 2025.

When it comes to baby names in North Dakota, these are the most popular names from the Social Security Administration.

2025 North Dakota's Most Popular Girls' Names

5. Ivy

4. Aurora

3. Lainey

2. Amelia

1. Evelyn

2025 North Dakota's Most Popular Boys Names

5. Liam

4. Brooks

3. Theodore

2. Henry

1. Oliver

How about baby names that you are NOT allowed to have in North Dakota?

According to the BUMP, there's really not much you can't do.  Name your child anything, but the data system doesn't allow special characters.

What are special characters?  A special character is one that is not considered a number or letter.  This means the only names off-limits are symbols, accent marks, and punctuation marks.  In North Dakota, the last name must match a parent's last name, too.

Remember when the singer Prince changed his name to a symbol?  Yeah, that doesn't fly in our state.

How about names that are banned in the USA?  According to US BIRTH Certificates,  there are a few, and they include:

Jesus Christ

Adolph Hitler

King

Queen

Santa Claus

Messiah

There are a few more.  You can read about them here.