No, you can't name your child Messiah in New Zealand.

Messiah won't be coming any time soon, as this was the most commonly rejected name for newborns in New Zealand in 2015.

In previous years, the name Justice has been the most commonly disallowed name by the Department of Internal Affairs.

Since 1995, the Births, Deaths, Marriages and Relationships Registration Act has provided rules around acceptable names for newborn Kiwis.

123RF Names rejected by the registrar-general in 2015 included Rogue, King and Royal.

Names must not imply rank, resemble official titles or cause undue offence.

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The maximum length allowed is 99 characters, to include first names, middle names and surnames.



Justice was the most rejected name between July 2001 and May 2013.



But, in 2015, Messiah was the most commonly rejected name, followed by King, Royal, Prince and Empress.



Other rejected names included anything using a "/" symbol, Royahl, Rogue, Sarjant and MMMR, a Mongrel Mob acronym.

A departmental spokesman said there was no list of "banned" names as all names registered in New Zealand must comply with the legislation.

If a name failed to meet criteria, the proposal was reviewed by the registrar-general of births, deaths and marriages, Jeff Montgomery.

Montgomery said there was nothing stopping parents calling their children by any name of their choosing. Legislation applied to official names, on birth certificates, passports or used formally in court, he said.

People have the right of appeal to the Family Court for a rejected name but no one had done so, he said.

"Most parents are serious. They think it's a name that fits their baby. They think it's a nice name.

"There's not normally anything nasty about it. They're not intending it to be offensive."

Montgomery said there was some flexibility.

The name King could be permissible as a middle name, but not as a first name.

Names must also be easily pronounced and enunciated.

In other words, no symbols, gang acronyms or "/", but the word "backslash" could be permissible, he said.

"People can call themselves whatever they like.

"We might not approve Messiah but you can call your children whatever you like."

It was not the registrar-general's job to judge, he said.

Around 60,000 babies are born in New Zealand each year, and less than 1 per cent have their name registered personally by the registrar-general.

In 2015, a total of 49 names were rejected.

REJECTED BABY NAMES IN 2015

Messiah 7

King 5

Royal 4

Prince 3

Royale 3

Bishop 2

Princess 2

Empress 2

/ [symbol in name] 2

() [name in brackets] 2

Sir 1

Royahl 1

Rogue 1

Knight 1

Justyce 1

Lord 1

Regal 1

Suprintedent 1

Royaal 1

Commodore 1

Justice 1

Chief 1

Sarjant 1

Impryss 1

Christ 1

Queen 1

MMMR 1

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Total: 49

SOURCE: Department of Internal Affairs

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