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Psychology Warns That Names Are More Than Aesthetic Choices and Shape Identity. While Gabriel, Linda, Carolina, and Alice Face Bans in Countries Like Iceland and Saudi Arabia, Brazilian Registries Block Hitler, Bin Laden, and Al Capone Based on Law 14.382 to Avoid Future Embarrassments in School and Social Life.
The debate about names is back at the center of attention in Brazil showing that seemingly common choices can cause problems both here and abroad. Brazilian parents discovered that Gabriel, Linda, Carolina, and Alice, among other popular names, can be rejected in different countries.
At the same time, it gained prominence that, in Brazil, registries already refuse to register certain names based on Law No. 14.382. Hitler, Bin Laden, and Al Capone cannot appear on birth certificates, precisely to avoid embarrassment and direct associations with extremely controversial historical figures.
Names Shape Children’s Self-Esteem and Identity
According to psychology, choosing a name for a child goes far beyond a simple gesture. Names function as a symbolic tool that helps shape self-esteem, identity, and how the person will be perceived by the world.
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In a country marked by colonizing origins and a great plurality of customs, cultures, and foreign heritages, it is common for Brazilian children to receive names different from the usual ones.
On the other hand, seemingly simple names in Brazil can carry controversial meanings in other places, which leads to accepted registrations here being banned in registries of other countries.
This difference in cultural interpretation explains why some names so popular among Brazilians end up prohibited in other nations.
Gabriel, One of the Trending Names in Brazil, May Be Banned
According to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, one of the most ascending registrations in the country is that of Gabriel.
What many parents do not imagine is that, in countries with a Muslim majority and more conservative laws, biblical angel names, such as Gabriel, are considered sacred and may be seen as inappropriate for common people, which leads to the refusal of registration.
Why Names Like Linda, Carolina, and Alice Generate Rejection
Regarded in Brazil as a name with a simple and positive meaning, Linda encounters resistance in Saudi Arabia.
According to local authorities, the term is considered incompatible with the religious and cultural values of the country, and, in general, Western names that sound excessively foreign tend to be rejected, as the priority is to preserve their own roots.
In Iceland, the rule is even stricter. There, all names must strictly follow the grammatical and phonetic rules of the local language, which renders popular names in Brazil, like Carolina and Alice, as inappropriate.
The country even has an official Naming Committee responsible for approving or denying the names requested by families.
When Brands, Products, and Characters Become Banned Names
In countries like Mexico, New Zealand, and Iceland, there are strict laws that prevent the registration of names that reference commercial brands, products, or fictional characters.
Even when inspired by celebrities or movies, these names can be banned if deemed inappropriate for inclusion in official documents.
Examples cited include Robocop and Facebook, which do not meet the authorities’ criteria.
How the Prohibition of Names Works in Brazilian Registries
In Brazil, the birth certificate is a fundamental right of every citizen, key to ensuring access to basic rights.
To obtain it, one of the child’s guardians must go to the registry with the required documentation and inform the chosen names.
Although the country does not have an official list of banned names, some registries have refused to validate certain indications.
According to Law No. 14.382, the civil registry official cannot authorize any name on the birth certificate.
The regulation stipulates that a prior assessment must be made to verify whether the name could serve as a form of ridicule or pose excessive difficulty in pronunciation, always with the aim to protect the child from future embarrassment when their name is pronounced in public.
For this reason, names associated with extremely controversial historical figures also come under scrutiny.
Hitler, Bin Laden, and Al Capone cannot be registered in Brazilian registries, precisely because they reference controversial figures in human history.
According to the Association of Civil Registrars, there is no exact list of banned names throughout history; the goal of the rules is to prevent greater embarrassment when pronounced in public.
And you, have you ever thought about how the names in your family would be evaluated in other countries and in Brazilian registries?
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