'Cancelled' baby names you will definitely want to avoid

Naming your baby is one of the biggest decisions you'll make in your life as they will be stuck with the moniker for the entirety of theirs.

And in the era of cancel culture, it adds a whole new level to the process - let's face it, no one wants to name their tot after a celebrity who made offensive comments or a viral meme.

While some people are influenced by the classic top 10 lists and love a traditional name like Molly, Emma, James or Henry, others prefer to go against the grain with a more unique choice.

What's 'in' is constantly changing and while some names have been dominating the top spots for years and never seem to budge, others come in and out of style throughout the decades.

As per BabyCenter's annual survey of the top 100 monikers, this year Olivia and Noah aren't budging from their number titles, but other lesser-known names have made their way onto the list for the first time.

There are some baby names you might want to avoid (Getty Stock Image)

Kehlani, Vivian, Catalina, Josephine, Sienna and Emersyn all made it into the prestigious list for 2025.

If you are in search of a more unique name, just make sure you avoid anything accidentally insulting, as well as anything that will cause your baby to be bullied in school.

One Reddit user pointed out that while the name Ghislaine is 'beautiful,' they could never give their little one the moniker due to Ghislaine Maxwell and the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.

They wrote: "I was struck by how disappointed I was about that the name Ghislaine - despite how beautiful it may be, I could NEVER use it considering its association."

Another person pointed out that a family friend named their baby girl Isis, without thinking about the global terrorist group

They penned: "Isis. I remember my friends sister having a baby and naming her Isis sometime around 2009 and thinking it was such a beautiful name. Not so much anymore, unfortunately."

While someone else agreed: "Not that Donald was a winner before now, but yikes," and another added: "Adolf. I really like the name and its meaning, but it'd be horrible to saddle a kid with it given the association."

Meanwhile, someone else pointed out the ramifications of artificial intelligence and how the names Alexa and Siri are pretty much off the cards.

Adolf, Donald and Ghislaine are all on the no-no list for some people (Getty Stock Image)

The social media user wrote: "Alexa and Siri... Who knows if the devices/AI platforms will be as big of a thing in 20 or so years but I have to imagine that it's very frustrating to have either of those names right now as an adult."

While another person said: "Harvey and Jeffrey both feel unusable given their respective crimes. Also any first name that can be shortened to or combined with a middle initial to create OJ. I actually have a cousin that uses that nickname for their kiddo and I cringe every time I hear it."

According to BoredPanda, Karen is also a name that's falling off due to the viral meme used to refer to a middle-class woman who is perceived as entitled or excessively demanding.

"The nicest, most generous and kind person I ever met is named Karen. What a shame that the name has been destroyed," someone commented.

Kermit - because of the frog - and Lolita - because of the controversial novel by Vladimir Nabokov - are also firm no-no's for many people.

Names that also pop up as cancelled ones to avoid include

• Judas
• Kovid
• Leopold
• Katrina (after the storm)
• Alvin (after the chipmunk)
• Jezebel