Should this be allowed?
There was a King (Vidor) in the States and Prince (Rogers Nelson), their real names. They are perhaps better suited to dogs if only as Rex. I remember D’Brickashaw and Latrina from another thread here.
A Justice chips in.

There is, of course, ”A Boy Named Sue” written by Shel Silverstein and popularized by Johnny Cash in the 1960’s.

The core story of the song was inspired by humorist Jean Shepherd, a close friend of Shel Silverstein, who was often taunted as a child because of his feminine-sounding name.

The title might also have been inspired by the male attorney Sue K. Hicks of Madisonville, Tennessee, a friend of John Scopes who agreed to be a prosecutor in what was to become known as the Scopes Trial. Sue was named after his mother who died after giving birth to him.

I had acquaintances who named their child after one of the Upanishads. The name is pronounced, “Moon Duck” and I am sure it has been a source of embarrassment for the child.

I knew a fellow named “Carroll” who was so embarrassed by his name, that it took several years after meeting him before he told me his name. I thought it was a perfectly acceptable name but found it mildly interesting that he had such a problem with it. 

As far as outlawing names? I don’t think so. Would I name a child with a strange name? Probably not. But outlawing such a thing is heavy-handed. I can imagine myself saying, “I could have named you ‘Moon Unit’, Exswye T’se, but it was already taken...”

Moderation in name giving would be my choice. There is still also a lot of superstition surrounding names.

“Under New Zealand law babies’ names cannot ... contain religious references”

Right, that rules out John, “God is gracious”; Michael, “Who is like God?”; Joshua, “God rescues”; Samuel, “His name is God”; Daniel, “God is my judge”; Jonathan, “God has given”; Matthew, “Gift of God”; Jeremy, “God will raise up”; Christopher, “bearer of Christ”, and, for girls, Isabella/Elizabeth, “My God is a vow”; Christine; and Natalie, “[Christ’s] birthday; to list just a few.

In Spanish-speaking countries thousands of children are called “Jesús", “Jesús María”, “Jesús María José”, “Tránsito” ("Transfiguration" - a fairly unambiguous Christian religious reference), etc.; names of gods of other religions, like “Baldur”, “Venus”, “Indira”, etc., fall into much the same category. Clearly that isn’t what is meant by “religious references”. On the other hand, many enlightened countries have laws to prevent parents from being cruel to their children - and surely giving one’s child a name which can cause the child distress, is not all that far removed from wanton cruelty.

This makes me think of the Swedish baby named Metallica. The Wikipedia article says that the Swedish authorities deemed the name “inappropriate,” but fails to mention that they deemed it “inappropriate because of what happened after the Black album.” At least, I’m pretty sure that’s what they said.

There’s also a link to this guy, whose name was 746 letters long. Whoa nelly.

Your “this guy” link doesn’t work—it’s one of those Wikipedia URLs with symbols that break the forum software.  Best thing is probably to go to this article and click on the name Hubert Blaine Wolfe­schlegel­stein­hausen­berger­dorff, Sr.

Zythophile - 08 January 2012 05:18 AM

“Under New Zealand law babies’ names cannot ... contain religious references”

Right, that rules out John, “God is gracious”; Michael, “Who is like God?”; Joshua, “God rescues”; Samuel, “His name is God”; Daniel, “God is my judge”; Jonathan, “God has given”; Matthew, “Gift of God”; Jeremy, “God will raise up”; Christopher, “bearer of Christ”, and, for girls, Isabella/Elizabeth, “My God is a vow”; Christine; and Natalie, “[Christ’s] birthday; to list just a few.

Apart from this article, I can find no references supporting the idea that names cannot contain religious references in New Zealand. The grounds for rejection seem to be offensiveness, length or the fact that the name is an official title.

I seem to recall that France at one time had legal restraints on which given names could be used, a recollection supported by this wiki.

The choice of given names, originally limited only by the tradition of naming children after a small number of popular saints, was restricted by law at the end of the 18th century. Officially, only names figuring on a calendar, or names of illustrious Frenchmen/women of the past, could be accepted.[3] Much later, actually in 1966, a new law permitted a limited number of mythological, regional or foreign names, substantives (Olive, Violette), diminutives, and alternative spellings. Only in 1993 were French parents given the freedom to name their child without any constraint whatsoever.

and surely giving one’s child a name which can cause the child distress, is not all that far removed from wanton cruelty.

In the immortal words of Bertie Wooster, there’s some raw work pulled at the font from time to time.

Germany also has restrictions on what a child can be named. Foreign names are allowed, but the onus is on the parents to prove that the name is standard in some other culture. And names that aren’t unambiguously male or female aren’t permitted.

And names that aren’t unambiguously male or female aren’t permitted.
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That seems somewhat ridiculous.

IIRC, a few years ago a French registrar refused to let a couple name their son Zébulon. This is a perfectly kosher Old Testament name, but the registrar ruled that ever since it had been the name of a character in the children’s animated TV series Le Manège enchanté, it had become ridiculous. (The series was titled The Magic Roundabout in Britain, where the character was called Zebedee.) The registrar feared that the poor little blighter would spend his entire childhood, if not his entire life, having people shout the French equivalent of “Boiinng!” at him whenever he appeared. Several adult Zébulons wrote indignantly to the government and the news media denying that they had a ridiculous name; but what the outcome of it all was, I don’t think I ever heard.

So what IS the French equivalent of Boiinng?

EDIT: Airrbbuss I suppose.

Ha!

(Extra verbiage added so software can receive my submission at this time.)

The only good thing about bible readings in the school assemblies I suffered growing up was when Zebedee was mentioned and sniggers were repressed, such was the might of The Magic Roundabout. The French version was completely straight. Eric Thompson made it more like a drug trip and never even listened to the French dialogue.
lionello says there are many Jesuses etc in Spanish-speaking countries but how about all the Mohammeds everywhere? I believe it is the most popular male given name in the world and that it is exclusive to Muslims. John Fowles said that in the ‘50s you could stumble upon illiterate shepherds on Greek islands called Socrates, a common name there to this day and different to calling your daughter Ophelia or Cordelia in Britain, which has happened.
David Bowie called his son Zowie though he is now a movie director called Duncan Jones.

Georgians (the ones from the Caucasus, not the southern USA) are often called ‘Socrates’ too; only they pronounce it ‘Sograt’ which has a rather unlovely sound to the Anglophone ear.