Banned Baby Names in Saudi Arabia

Bad news for people named Benjamin, Lauren, or a variety of other non-Muslim sounding monikers– you’re banned from Saudi Arabia.

If your name is Benjamin, Lauren, Elaine or one of several other non-muslim monikers, you’re just not going to be a Saudi. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia just released a list of 50 names that are now officially banned from their lands, citing, “the banned names are either blasphemous, non-Arabic or non-Islamic, or contradictory to the kingdom’s culture or religion.”

Saudi Arabia’s interior minister is happy to let some of these particularly unsuitable names go as well:

Malaak (angel)
Abdul Aati
Abdul Naser
Abdul Musleh
Binyamin (Arabic for Benjamin)
Naris
Yara
Sitav
Loland
Tilaj
Barrah
Abdul Nabi
Abdul Rasool
Sumuw (highness)
Al Mamlaka (the kingdom)
Malika (queen)
Mamlaka (kingdom)
Tabarak (blessed)
Nardeen
Sandy
Rama (Hindu god)
Maline
Elaine
Inar
Maliktina
Maya
Linda
Randa
Basmala (utterance of the name of God)
Jibreel (angel Gabriel)
Abdul Mu’een
Abrar
Iman
Bayan
Baseel
Wireelam
Nabi (prophet)
Nabiyya (female prophet)
Amir (prince)
Taline
Aram
Nareej
Rital
Alice
Lareen
Kibrial
Lauren

While we can understand why they’d let go of Benjamin (you know, it being an Old Testament name and all), we’re sad for all the potential British babies who might’ve had that name, the tons of varied-ethnic Laurens out there, and everyone with a grandmother named “Elaine” or “Alice” that is no longer getting their family name passed down. A large selection of typically-Muslim names are also banned, suggesting that just about anything other than Manahil (topping the list of most popular Muslim names for babies) is no longer acceptable in the Kingdom.

We can only assume Jasons, Jessicas, Jennifers, Alexanders, and Michaels will be on the next list.

Thoughts? Weigh in below.

(thanks to TOI and Aly Walansky for tipping us off)