
Australia has strict laws surrounding baby names, which are designed to protect children from names that could cause embarrassment, offence, or confusion. The Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1996 prohibits certain names, and the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria (BDM) will not register a name that is deemed prohibited. Religious names are banned in some Australian states, including Jesus, as well as God, Christ, Satan, and Lucifer. Other names banned in Australia include Justice, Saint, Princess, King, Spinach, Monkey, and Chow Tow (meaning smelly head).
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Country | Australia |
| Religious names allowed? | No |
| Examples of banned names | Jesus, Bishop, Chow Tow, Monkey, Mister, King, Prince, Princess, Justice, Saint |
| Reasons for banning names | To protect children from names that could cause embarrassment, offence, or confusion |
| Name registration | The Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria (BDM) will not register prohibited names |
| Alternative names | If parents do not provide an alternative name, BDM may assign a name to the child |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
- Jesus is not an illegal name in Australia
- Australia bans names that could cause embarrassment, offence, or confusion
- Australia prohibits titles as part of baby names
- Australia's Registrar can refuse to register a birth name if it's reasonably likely to insult, humiliate, offend or intimidate a person or group
- Australia's laws around names are designed to protect children from harmful names

Jesus is not an illegal name in Australia
In Australia, the Registrar of Births, Deaths, and Marriages Victoria (BDM) is responsible for registering names. While Australia has strict laws regarding naming children, Jesus is not an illegal name.
Australia prohibits names that are offensive, obscene, too long, or include symbols, numerals, initials, or acronyms. Names that resemble official ranks or titles, such as "King" or "Princess," are also banned. These laws are designed to protect children from names that could cause embarrassment, offence, or confusion.
While the name Jesus is not illegal in Australia, other names related to religion may be prohibited. For example, "Christ," "God," "Satan," and "Lucifer" are banned. Additionally, names with religious connotations in other cultures may be restricted, such as "Bishop."
It's worth noting that Australia's naming laws can vary by state, and some states like Victoria have more extensive lists of banned names. If a name cannot be registered, the BDM may assign a different name to ensure the child's birth can be legally registered.
Private Health Care: Is It Necessary in Australia?
You may want to see also
Explore related products

Australia bans names that could cause embarrassment, offence, or confusion
Australia has strict laws surrounding names to protect children from those that could cause embarrassment, offence, or confusion. While the name "Jesus" is not banned, names like “Justice”, “Saint”, “Princess”, “Prince”, “King”, “Bishop”, and “Chow Tow” (which means "smelly head") are prohibited. This is due to their potential to cause embarrassment, bullying, or confusion with official titles.
Australia's naming laws also prohibit names that are offensive, obscene, too long, or include symbols, numerals, pictograms, foreign characters, or emojis. These restrictions are in place to prevent names that could be deemed inappropriate or harmful to the child. For example, names like “Monkey”, “Spinach”, “Brother”, and “Sister” are banned in Australia.
In addition to these restrictions, the Registrar of Births, Deaths, and Marriages in Australia may also refuse to register a birth name if it cannot be established by repute or usage, or if it is considered reasonably likely to insult, humiliate, offend, or intimidate a person or group. This decision is made after considering cultural and family relevance and how the name would be perceived in the community.
Australia's laws reflect a global trend toward preventing names that could be damaging to children. For instance, Germany stopped a couple from naming their child after the al-Qaeda leader, and New Zealand banned the name "Sex Fruit" to prevent potential hardship for the child.
Teaching in Australia: Job Application Process for Indians
You may want to see also
Explore related products

Australia prohibits titles as part of baby names
Australia has strict laws surrounding baby names to protect children from names that could cause embarrassment, offence, or confusion. A law was passed in 1995 prohibiting the use of titles as part of baby names. This includes names such as “King”, “Prince”, “Princess”, and “Bishop”, which are banned to avoid confusion with official titles.
Australia also prohibits names that are offensive, obscene, or include symbols, numerals, or foreign characters. For example, names like “Monkey”, “Chow Tow” (meaning "smelly head"), “Spinach”, “Brother”, and “Sister” are banned.
In addition, names with religious connotations are also illegal in Australia. This includes names like “God”, “Christ”, “Satan”, and “Lucifer”. While "Jesus" is not specifically mentioned on the list of prohibited names, it is likely illegal due to its religious nature and potential to cause confusion or offence.
The Registrar of Births, Deaths, and Marriages Victoria (BDM) is responsible for determining whether a name is prohibited. They consider factors such as cultural and family relevance and how the name would be perceived in the community. If a name is prohibited, parents must provide an alternative, or BDM may assign a name to legally register the child's birth.
Exploring the Immense Size of Australia's Ayers Rock
You may want to see also
Explore related products

Australia's Registrar can refuse to register a birth name if it's reasonably likely to insult, humiliate, offend or intimidate a person or group
In Australia, the Registrar can refuse to register a birth name if it is reasonably likely to insult, humiliate, offend, or intimidate a person or group. This is to protect children from names that could cause embarrassment, offence, or confusion. For example, names like Monkey, Spinach, Sex Fruit, Lucifer, Aryan, and Adolf are banned in Australia and other countries because they are offensive, could cause hardship for the child, or have negative connotations.
Additionally, Australia's Registrar may refuse to register a birth name if it includes symbols or numerals, such as N@talie or 007, as they are challenging to write and pronounce. Names that resemble official ranks or titles, such as "King", "Prince", "Princess", or "Bishop", are also prohibited. Religious names like "Jesus", "God", and "Christ" are banned in Australia, while names like "Justice" and "Saint" are prohibited to avoid confusion with official titles.
When determining whether a name is prohibited, the Registrar considers cultural and family relevance and how the name would be perceived in the community. If a name is deemed prohibited, the Registrar will work with the parents to choose a name that is meaningful to them, reflects community expectations, and can be registered. If parents refuse to provide an alternative name, the Registrar may assign one to ensure the child's birth can be legally registered.
Sending Money from Australia to Peru: A Quick Guide
You may want to see also
Explore related products

Australia's laws around names are designed to protect children from harmful names
Australia has strict laws regarding what parents can and cannot name their children. While the country does not have a list of banned names per se, it does have a set of criteria that names must meet to be deemed acceptable. These laws are designed to protect children from names that could cause embarrassment, offence, or confusion.
In Australia, names cannot be registered if they are too long, contain symbols, resemble official ranks or titles, or are reasonably likely to insult, humiliate, offend, or intimidate a person or group. For example, names like "Justice", "Saint", and "Princess" are banned to avoid confusion with official titles or deception. Similarly, names like "Chow Tow", which means "smelly head" in Cantonese, are off-limits in Australia.
Australia's laws also prohibit parents from giving their children any religious monikers, including names like "Jesus", "God", "Christ", "Bishop", and King. While the name "Jesus" is not specifically listed as illegal, it falls under the category of religious names, which are generally not allowed in Australia.
The decision to prohibit a name is made by the Registrar of Births, Deaths, and Marriages Victoria (BDM), who takes into account various factors, including cultural and family relevance and how the name would be perceived in the community. If a name is determined to be prohibited, the BDM will not register it and may assign an alternative name to ensure the child's birth can be legally registered.
US to AUS Shoe Size: Converting for Men
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Yes, it is illegal to name your child Jesus in Australia. The Australian state doesn't allow parents to give their children any religious monikers.
Other names that are illegal in Australia include "Justice", "Saint", "Princess", "King", "Spinach", "Chow Tow", "God", "Christ", "Satan", "Lucifer", "Brother", and "Sister".
Australia’s strict laws around names are designed to protect children from names that could cause embarrassment, offence, or confusion.
If the name chosen for the child cannot be registered, and the parents do not provide an alternative, the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria (BDM) may assign a name so that the child’s birth can be legally registered.




































