Can you add symbols or numbers to your baby’s name? See Florida’s restrictions regarding baby names

Samantha Neely, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida
·4 min read

For many parents, the pressure of naming the newest edition of your family can be overwhelming. Yet, it can feel feel like you won the lottery when you finally land on the perfect name for your baby.

But have you ever considered that your desired name might not be allowed in your state?

Several states have guidelines regarding what parents can give to their newborns, from limiting the amount of letters to prohibiting specific characters.

Why do states get a say in citizen baby names? Why do laws vary so much?

According to usa.gov, birth certificate issuance falls under state jurisdiction.

Despite the freedom that Americans have regarding names, there are still restrictions. These rules are put in place either due to the limitations of the software used for official record keeping or to protect children.

Per US Birth Certificates, common naming restrictions include:

  • Derogatory terms

  • Obscenity

  • Offensive names

  • Foreign characters

  • Numbers

  • Diacritical marks (think accents, tildes and other stress marks)

  • Hyphens

  • Asterisks

  • Apostrophes

What are Florida's laws surrounding baby names?

Potentially good news — Florida does not have any strict laws regarding what you can and cannot include within your child's name. So add those special characters!

For those worried about character limits, you're also in the clear. It is noted within Florida Statutes that if the multiple names of the child exceed the space provided on the face of the birth certificate, they will be listed on the back of the certificate. But don't worry, they will still be part of the official record.

However, you might want to agree on that special name as soon as possible.

According to Florida Statutes, if parents can’t agree on a first name, none can be listed on the birth certificate until "a joint agreement that lists the agreed upon given name and is notarized by both parents is submitted to the department, or until a given name is selected by a court."

What states have stricter laws for baby names?

Moving to another state soon or have loved ones expecting a plus one soon? According to Birth Certificate Copy, here are some of the states that have strict laws regarding baby names:

  • Arizona - While apostrophes, hyphens, periods and spaces are okay, there is a 141 character limit — 45 for the first name, 45 for middle, 45 for last and 6 for a suffix.

  • Arkansas - You can have apostrophes, hyphens and spaces in a name, but they can’t be consecutive. Also, Baby, Babyboy, Babygirl, Baby Boy, Baby Girl, Infant, Test, Unk and Void are invalid entries in the data entry system.

  • California - Derogatory or obscene names are banned in California. Only the 26 characters of the English alphabet are allowed. Pictographs such as smiley faces or ideograms are also banned.

  • Louisiana - You can’t name your child an obscenity in Louisiana, or use diacritical marks.

  • Massachusetts - Only letters found on the standard English keyboard may be used in baby names in Massachusetts (no æ, ë or ñ).

  • Minnesota - Numbers and all special characters are banned. Apostrophes and hyphens allowed. Each name — first, middle and last — is limited to 50 letters each.

  • New Hampshire - First, middle and last names must be within 100 characters total.

  • New Jersey - New Jersey bans parents from naming their child an obscenity. Numbers and symbols are also prohibited.

  • New Mexico - Diacritical marks, special characters, and Baby Boy, Baby Girl, Male and Female are banned names.

  • New York - First and middle names can’t be more than 30 characters each. Last can’t be more than 40.

  • Texas - First, middle and last name cannot exceed 100 characters. Only English characters allowed. Numbers and diacritical marks are forbidden.

  • Utah - Utah says that using marks not found a keyboard “would make applying for and receiving a birth certificate more laborious.”

  • Wyoming - The official record cannot reflect foreign characters.

What states have less strict laws regarding baby names?

Who else joins Florida on the more lenient end of the spectrum? Here's other states that have little to no restrictions regarding names:

  • Alaska - Allows umlauts, tildes and many other foreign characters.

  • Illinois - There are no restrictions on what you can name your child. According to The Bump, updates to the state’s computer networks even allow for quirky names such as “1Der” or “2-Riffic.” So far, no parent has taken advantage of this, but there’s a child whose middle name is “7.”

  • Indiana - No restrictions for a baby's first name.

  • Kentucky - There are no laws or rules regarding names.

  • Maine - There are no laws or rules regarding names.

  • North Carolina - Accent marks, hyphens and tildes may be used.

  • Oklahoma - Has no name laws, but its system limits names to the English alphabet.

  • Oregon - Their computer system can handle 40 special characters, including â, é, î, õ and ü.

  • South Carolina - There are no laws or rules regarding names.

  • Vermont - There are no laws or rules regarding names.

  • Washington - The only guideline is on length — 30 characters for first names and 50 for middle and last.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Florida baby name laws: What to know before you settle on a name