When you're having a baby, one of the most important and hopefully fun things mom and dad get to do is name their little bundle of joy. In many cases, figuring out who you will honor in your family is a fun exercise. Or perhaps you want to pick a name with a personal meaning or one you love. So, are there any baby names banned in Missouri?

Illegal Baby Names In The United States

When naming your baby in the United States, the rules are generally fairly lax. According to US Birth Certificates, our Country's lenient naming regulations result from the fact that many courts have interpreted the US Constitution as supporting a parent's right to choose their children's names.

According to US Birth Certificates, a handful of names have been ruled illegal by courts within the United States. Some of these "banned" names are below:

• King
• Queen
• Jesus Christ
• III
• Santa Claus
• Majesty
• Adolf Hitler
• Messiah
• @

The bottom line is common names that include derogatory terms, obscenity, or offensive names, which, in many cases, could cause parents problems.

What About Missouri?

I checked with the Missouri Bureau of Vital Records, part of the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services, and there is no outright name ban. Also, US Birth Certificates did not have any information on Missouri specifically banning names.

The State says that names and words on a Missouri Birth Certificate will be printed in all capital letters. They warn that extra character spaces, incorrect suffixes, and specific naming sequences, such as adding numbers to names, may prevent the automatic issuing of Social Security cards. However, the state will still accept and register the vital record.

Some states have name limitations based on what their electronic database will and won't accept. Some require names to be no longer than a specific number of letters because that's what their database will accept. Other states won't let you use a number because their database won't accept that. The good news in Missouri is that the state's electronic database, MoEVR, accepts all general, special characters and accents. However, some birth certificates may not be able to display all special characters and accents.

So, no, generally, Missouri doesn't have a list of prohibited baby names. That said, don't give your kid some avant-grade name, name your child after your favorite food, or get fancy with phonetics and symbols. Please don't stick your kid with a name he or she will dread or be mercilessly teased about; being a kid and then a teen is tough enough. A different, unique spelling of a name? That's OK with me because each of us is uniquely special!