Controversial Names 

Kanye West propelled his name into the Top 900 in the early 2000s, at the height of his popularity, though now it has dropped off the baby-naming map. In addition to its African derivation, it is a Hawaiian name meaning 'free'.

Kanye

Torah

Makaveli was an alias of Tupac Shakur — his posthumous album, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, was released under the pseudonym. The album was released in 1996, following his death, and the next year Makaveli debuted on the baby name charts after being given to 11 baby boys.
 
Makaveli is still used as a name today, albeit in very small numbers. Aside from Tupac, it calls to mind Niccolò Machiavelli and Machiavellianism — the personality trait characterized by manipulativeness, opportunism, and deceit.
 
The origins of the Machiavelli surname are debated. It may be derived from the Italian word mal, "bad," and clavellus, "nail," perhaps denoting ancestral metalworkers. Alternatively, Machiavelli may be an Italian variation of Melchior, one of the names of the Three Wise Men.

Makaveli

Murdoch and its more popular modern variant Murdo are traditional given names in Scotland, although they are almost exclusively encountered as surnames outside of their native country. 
Famous bearers include media mogul Rupert Murdoch and novelist Iris Murdoch. The Murdoc spelling was used for the fictional bassist and founder of the virtual indie band Gorillaz.

Murdoch

High-collared and straightlaced, with the deadly "Ox" nickname. 

Oxford

Appearing in the popular fantasy series, Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, this name is borne by a dragon rider called Ridoc Gamlyn. Part Ryan and Ryder, part Caradoc and Roderick, it feels contemporary and cool, but ancient and fantastical at the same time.
 
While the exact origin of the name is obscure, it may be a variation on the English, Irish, and Scottish surnames Riddock or Reddock. This gives you a number of meanings to play around with, including: "red settlement"; "remote place by the reeds", "descender of the one who rides" or "the robber's distant encampment. Alternatively, it could be derived from Roderick, a Germanic name meaning "famous ruler", but also used as an anglicization of the Scottish Ruaridh ("red king") or the Welsh Rhydderch ("exalted king") which would fit in with the origin of other names in the series.
 
It first appeared in the US stats in 2025, when it was given to five boys.

Ridoc

Striker is one of the new gang of boys' names that have two syllables, end in -er, spring from words, and have a macho, even aggressive meaning and image.  Other examples include Breaker, Heller, and Wilder.  Do the world a favor and desist.

Striker

Siri is a charming and lively Scandinavian name that is no longer on the table given the ubiquity of Apple's digital Siri. Too bad, because Siri -- along with variations Syrie and Cyrie -- is unique, enchanting, and adorable. But now taken. 


Siri

Despite the possibility of gender confusion, the Hero in Greek myth was a woman. Myleene Klass got that when she chose Hero for her daughter, and Sam Taylor-Wood and Aaron Johnson used it as their daughter's middle--and we wouldn't be surprised to see more girls with this heroic name.
 In Greek legend young Leander swam across dangerous waters every night to court his beloved Hero. In Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, Hero is the love interest of Claudio and cousin of Beatrice.

Hero

This cutesy nickname is best known as that of Imogene Threadgoode in the movie Fried Green Tomatoes.

Idgie

Molten rock from volcanos, and now a red-hot baby name possibility.

Lava

Replaced Patsy as the midcentury's popular, peppy babysitter. 

Patty

A name with two strong literary associations, one overwhelmingly negative -- Lolita's pedophilic narrator Humbert Humbert -- and one positive, in the preferable European version: Italian author Umberto Eco.

Humbert

Presidential names from Kennedy and Lincoln to Reagan and Carter have long appeared on birth certificates, but now, unfortunately, Trump has joined the ranks, having made its debut in the US stats in 2025. Seven boys were registered as "Trump" in a recent count: a controversial choice, that, unlike some of the more established presidential surnames, feels inescapably political. 
 
Derived from the Germanic trumbe, as a surname, Trump means "drum", though more colloquially, it can be considered a word referring to a playing card with the highest value in a particular game or to the idea of beating someone or something, by doing it better. In this case, it could be a relation of the word triumph. 
 
On the other hand, in British slang, a "trump" is another word for a fart.
 
Regardless of your political affiliations, Trump is probably best avoided: it doesn't have a particularly appealing sound and it would be a heavy choice to wear for any child. Donald or Donnie could be easier and more versatile, while Drummer, Victor, Prosper, and Niko hold similar meanings.

Trump

Suzanne Collins invented this name for a District 12 tribute — Maysilee Donner — who is mentioned in The Hunger Games trilogy and is a main character in the prequel, Sunrise on the Reaping.
 
It may be a combination of Maisie and Lee.

Maysilee

If you're actually considering this as a name for your child, you must have had a glass too many. But it's an awesome <a href="/list/589/white-cat-names">name for a white cat</a>.

Chardonnay

Ghislaine still sounds unusual to us, even though in France this name is dated. It can also be spelled Ghislain.
 
In the US, it is best known through association to Ghislaine Maxwell, the French-British socialite indicted in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.

Ghislaine

More than 300 babies have been named Shooter in the US since 2002, which, depending on who you ask, is arguably about 300 too many. One of the violent names for boys that have gained traction in recent years, the most optimistic view perhaps is that parents were thinking about sports or honoring a family connection to the militiary when choosing this name.
 
Previously known only as the nickname of musician Waylon "Shooter" Jennings, Jr., the word became a "proper" name when painter Julian Schnabel used it for his newborn son with gallerist May Andersen back in 2013. The name was given to at least 24 other boys the same year, though it has never been used to the same extent since.
 
Joining ranks with Cannon, Caliber, Gunnar, and Trooper, it might be worth typing "shooter" into your news app and having a flick through the latest headlines before you commit to using the name. Plus, the aforementioned options might give you the same feel, but with just a bit more subtlety. 
 
You could also check out this list of <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/1755/aggressive-boy-names>similar, aggressive names for boys</a> including Gage, Wolf, Blaze, Radar, Mace, and Chief.

Shooter

Ripper can be used to describe having a mighty good time or something of particularly good quality, however the infamous Jack the Ripper connection does rather overpower that. While Ripper did make the US stats for the first time in 2024 when it was given to five boys, we'd recommend the similar sounding Ripley, Pip, Zippy, Tripp, or Skipper over Ripley. Or perhaps something with a similar feeling meaning: Lance, Marvel, Blaze.

Ripper

Catcher is rarely used as a baby name, but it fits alongside other occupational surnames such as Thatcher and Hunter. It might be especially appealing to baseball fans.
 
In the 2003 movie Down with Love, Ewan McGregor plays a character named Catcher Block — a stereotypical midcentury womanizer. His name is a clever reference to the fact that in the end, he succeeds in "catching" the object of his affection, the feminist and fiercely independent Barabara Novak.

Catcher

are names that might cause you and your child some trouble.

From cringing and eyerolls to questions about your morals and values, the names on this list may be viewed as controversial for different reasons and to very different degrees. As such, a name might be considered divisive because some see it as

), whereas others might be divisive because they’re politically and historically loaded (let’s go with the obvious: 

), names associated with racial stereotyping (

),  names of controversial or unpleasant figures in history (

), names of contemporary criminals and creeps (

), names associated with tragedies or hurricanes (

),  names with sounds that might cause teasing (

Does that mean all of these names are off limits? Not necessarily. It heavily depends on where you are in the world, your culture and heritage, and whether you mind others not liking your child’s name. And while we’d definitely advise against some of the names on this list, you might even like the associations or style that would put others off.  More to the point, there is a big difference between using a name others may find too old fashioned or too nickname-y to using a name with heavy, negative, and historical associations.  

So if you do find one of your favorites on this list, we’re not saying you have to rule it out. It might just be worth considering its history and evaluating what others may think on hearing it — and if this could impact you and your child (or not!)

Controversial Names are names with that might cause you trouble. Divisive and controversial names include food names, names associated with bad figures from history, food names, celebrity baby names, names of contemporary criminals, demon names, very religious names, violent names, modern names, and made up names. Whether a name is controrversial depends on where you are in the world.  (Page 14)