Controversial Names 

Pirate is best known as one of the middle names of pop sensation Billie Eilish, who was born Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell. In a 2017 BBC interview, she revealed, "Pirate was going to be my [only] middle name but then my uncle had a problem with it because pirates are bad." Now Pirate attracting more interest, along with the rest of Billie Eilish's names.
 
The word "pirate" is English, derived from the Latin pirata, which ultimately came from the Greek peira, meaning "an attempt."

Pirate

Seen from our vantage point, Pocahontas is a name that will please no one. It's sure to invite playground mockery, and parents without Algonquin ancestry will be engaging in cultural appropriation. In certain circles, the 1995 Disney movie still stirs up bad blood. The name doesn't even present any obvious nickname possibilities to hide behind. Pocahontas was a very real, and very consequential, historical figure. Though it's worth noting that historians believe Pocahontas was really a sort of nickname rather than her proper name. Read more about Pocahontas and other <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/disney-princess-names">Disney Princess Names</a> in our featured blog.

Pocahontas

Machiavelli

Is Villanelle the new Sonnet? This elaborate name is a form of poetry — an example is Dylan Thomas's Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night — but many know it better as an assassin's codename in the TV show Killing Eve. Inspired by that, Villanelle debuted on the American charts in 2022 when it was used for five baby girls. 
 
It's rich with nickname potential, but we're not sure if it sounds too villainous... or if it could be an appealing "bad girl name" like Delilah.
 
As a word, Villanelle is derived from the Italian villanella, a type of pastoral song with refrains. Villanella ultimately comes from the Medieval Latin villanus, meaning "farmhand".
 
Before Killing Eve (or the 2017 novel it's based on), Villanelle appeared as a name in Jeanette Winterson's novel, The Passion, published in the late 80s.

Villanelle

Another bad boy occupational name, joining Bandit, Rogue, and Gunner, though Vandal feels more obviously destructive. The Vandals were a tribe that swept through Europe and North Africa in the sixth century and sacked Rome.  Their name is thought to spring from the Germanic word for wandering, but has come to mean senseless destruction.  

Vandal

We hesitate to call Bandit an occupational name, any more than Rogue or Vandal are occupational names, yet its use by one of the bandmembers of My Chemical Romance (for his daughter: we're thinking only Gerard Way could pull that off) undoubtedly owes a debt to occupational cousins from Pilot to Parker.
 
 Snappy and daring though it is, it may be best reserved for celebrity babies, a mischievous pet, or as a fun nickname. While it could work as a generic nickname (like Sonny, Sport, and Chip might), it would be especially fitting with something like Benjamin, Benedict, Brandon, or Bennett. 
 
Nevertheless, celeb choices and animated characters can be influential. Bandit appears in the hit cartoon series Bluey, as the father of the title character, and possibly as a result of this, Bandit appeared in the US stats for the first time in 2024, when it was given to six boys.

Bandit

Dora's monkey best friend, an old favorite for pet cats, and a UK drugstore, Boots has nevertheless appeared in the US stats a handful of times in the early 20th-century,, possibly given as a nod to a family surname. More contemporary usage (as seen on at least one social media announcement) may be owing to its connection with cowboy boots and its similarity to popular Books. 

Boots

Offred is not technically a name but the "slave name" of a woman given to a man — literally Of Fred — in Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale. Offred, who was stripped of her own name, is the main protagonist of the book and now the hit TV series, starring Elisabeth Moss. The novel is set in a patriarchal society in which fertile women like Offred are kept by men for the purposes of reproduction. Offred is definitely not a name you'd want to give to your baby girl.

Offred

An ambitious geographical name, associated with mountains and success. In the UK, however, this is a slang term, meaning "bad, disappointing".

Peak

While some may associate it with alcohol or find it a bit too grainy, for others, Barley may be a rare alternative to Bailey, Harley, Marley, Arley, and Barney. With a similar feel to Fields, Sage, and Prairie, it could make an outdoorsy and intriguing choice.


Barley

Cutesy combination of Lula and Belle. Lula is a short form of names starting with the "Lu" sound, which may derive from Germanic hlud "famous", and Belle is French for "beautiful".

Lulabelle

Bizzy has a 1930s wisecracking waitress -- think Mitzi, Flossie, Fanny -- feel to it, yet at the same time feels like a fresh, modern nickname for Elizabeth.  Given that any Bizzy better be, this name could be a way to make your Elizabeth stand out.

Bizzy

A quirky and playful nickname, which could be a fun spin on Lizzy, Izzy, Mitzi, and Dottie, Dizzy was used in the 2004 book Dizzy by Cathy Cassidy, in which the main character is named Dizzy by her hippie, free-spirited mother. It has also been worn by jazz musician Dizzy Gillespie and by baseball player Dizzy Dean. 
 
While it appeared in the US charts for boys a few times back in the 1930s (likely thanks to the baseball player), it has never appeared as a stand alone name for girls. Instead, it probably works best as a nickname, whether that be for Isadora, Doris, or Daphne.

Dizzy

Somersault is a gymnastic word that no one ever considered as a baby name... until now.
 Meaning a heels-over-head jump, Somersault entered English via Old French, and is ultimately from Latin supra "over" + saltus "a leap".
 In 2025, it was revealed that the Australian singer Sia and her ex-husband Daniel Bernad had a daughter named Somersault Wonder, born in 2024. Even in a world where almost anything goes for celebrity babies, it feels like an extreme choice that other parents won't rush to copy. And yet, Somersault has its charms: it's fun, full of energy, and could be shortened to Summer to blend in.

Somersault

Usually reserved as a term of endearment, Sugar has occasionally been used as a given name in the US, with at least 135 girls and 46 boys receiving the name since records began in the 1880s. It was recently used by singer Anne-Marie and rapper Slowthai for their son's middle name, born in 2024 but not announced until 2025. 
 The singer revealed she chose the name because she developed gestational diabetes when carrying her second baby, Forever Sugar, and went on to describe how that made it the perfect middle name for him. 
 
While Sugar could be a generic nickname for any baby, if you want a name that connects to the pet form, you could always go for Hugh or Hugo, which would lead you to the the Scottish nicknames Shug and Shuggie, or try a name with a sweet meaning (Myron, Pollux, Amai). Alternatively, Seamus, Shay, Shiloh, Samuel, and Sawyer contain some of the sounds.

Sugar

Why would parents use such a negative word as a baby name? With Nemesis, it seems to be all about style. Nemesis repeats the fashionable -is ending found in girl names such as Genesis, Amaris, and Odalys. And we have to admit, Nemy makes a pretty cute nickname.
 
The first recorded use of Nemesis as a name was in 1990. It's never been given to more than 15 baby girls in a given year.

Nemesis

A pretty word, but laced with violent imagery.

Vendetta

Is Whip in line with energetic names like Bolt and Dash or does it lean more towards the violent side with Gunner, Blade, and Shooter? Alternatively, is it an occupational name, associated with keeping political party members in check, or is it a food inspired choice, as in whipped cream? That's up to you.
 
Whip entered the US stats for the first time in 2024, when it was given to five boys.

Whip

Slash is here because model Amber Rose and Def Jam Records exec Alexander AE Edwards named their baby boy Slash Electric Alexander. Is it cool? Or is it violent and terrifying? Or is it both? We're going to go with Door Number 2 and place it in the same category as names like Dagger and Pistol, but we are not models or record execs.

Slash

Adolf may have been a Swedish royal name but the terrible dictatorship of Adolf Hitler has ruled out this name Adolf for any sensible parent. In the US last year, there were more than 100 boys' given the Spanish variation Adolfo and a handful given the old school Adolphus, but none named Adolf or Adolph....thank goodness.

Adolf

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 18)