Serial killers, Nazi alliances and evil fictional characters served as the questionable inspiration for parents naming their newborns this year, new data reveals.
A study from global parenting site Parents.com ranked the worst baby names of 2019, including Axis - most commonly associated with the fascist 'Axis of Power' of World War Two - and Manson, the surname of notorious cult leader Charles Manson.
Divisive television characters also caught the imagination, with boys named Cletus, after the bumbling 'Slack-Jawed Yokel' from The Simpsons, and girls called Khaleesi, in honour of the formidable dragon queen from Game of Thrones.
Incorrectly spelled titles were equally popular, with names like Xxayvier for boys and Cyncere and Blaykelee for girls hailed as some of the poorest choices of the past 12 months.
Among the most baffling choices were Kingmessiah and Danger for boys, and Any and Mattel - as in the Barbie doll manufacturer - for girls.
Geographically inspired baby names are still widely used, including Yugo - shorthand for the defunct republic of Yugoslavia - for boys, and Vegas for girls.
Titles like Shy for girls and Cub for boys were also ranked among the worst of 2019, as names that may be adorable for bouncing babies but less fitting for fully grown adults.
Seven baby boys were named Pinches and five girls were called Awesome over the past year, while one set of parents chose the unique name Stylez for their newborn son.
Chardonnay, like the white wine, and Starlett, which was likened to a pseudonym for porn stars by Parents.com, were also ranked among the worst female titles this year.
Rounding out the girls list was Pansy, an offensive slur still used against members of the LGBTQI community.
But while many parents continue to be creative with their children's names, a number of monikers have been legally outlawed in Australia due to their particularly offensive and obscene nature.
Nationally-banned names include Bonghead, Smelly, Ikea and Medicare, which were all outlawed after parents attempted to use them in 2015.
Virgin, Snort and Ned Kelly, after the notorious bush ranger, are also prohibited.
The state of Victoria boasts a longer list of banned baby names, including Admiral, King, Messiah and Majesty, which is the legal first name of Barbadian singer Rihanna's niece.
Governmental and royal titles are also outlawed in Victoria, with names like Minister, Mister, Premier, President, Prime Minister, Princess, Queen, Sir and Sergeant all forbidden.
Controversial names like Commodore, Australia, Anzac, Seaman and Brigadier were banned in Victoria after parents attempted to register them for their children.
{"preview_thumbnail":"https://cdn.flowplayer.com/6684a05f-6468-4ecd-87d5-a748773282a3/i/v-i-2…","video_id":"26364ed1-ee2a-4ca5-bc09-04e42569b0bd","player_id":"8ca46225-42a2-4245-9c20-7850ae937431","provider":"flowplayer","video":"Baghdad Rejects US Calls for Early Polls in Iraq to Stop The Violence"}
This article has been adapted from its original source.
