These surprisingly common baby names are banned in other countries

Here in New Zealand we have a lot of freedom to name our kids what they want. But when it comes to other countries, rules are much stricter.

So while you may think your name is totally normal, there's a good chance it's actually banned overseas...

Portugal:
In Portugal, the government has an 80-page guide for baby names.

Aiden, Ashley, Bruce, Charlotte, Dylan and Jenny are all forbidden.

Babies must also be given full names. So no nicknames or abbreviations - which means you can call a baby Thomas or Catherine, but not Tom or Kate.

You also can't name your baby after any reference to pop culture.

Saudi Arabia:
Parents in Saudi Arabia aren't allowed to use names which contradict the culture or religion of the country.

Elaine, Maya, Linda, Lauren and Alice are all banned.

Iceland:
Icelandic parents have some seriously strict requirements when it comes to baby names.

Names must fit with Icelandic grammar, so any name with a C, Q or W in it is banned.

This means there are no babies called Bruce, Charlotte, Chris, Chloe, William or Jack.

Germany:
In Germany gender-neutral names are not allowed.

You must be able to tell what gender a child is by its first name.

So Taylor, Ashley, Riley, Morgan, and Jordan are all forbidden.

Surnames also aren't allowed to be used as first names.

Denmark:
Like Germany, gender-neutral names are also banned in Denmark.

As are creative spellings of names.

Interestingly, Denmark actually has a list of around 7,000 baby names which are allowed.

Malaysia:
Any names based on nature, plants and animals are banned.

So Bear, Violet, Rose and Lilly are all forbidden.