Wyoming’s Weird Baby Name Rule Outlaws Umläuts and Accénts
Did you know Wyoming doesn't allow parents to use foreign characters in their child's name?
If you're Irish, or a big Fox News fan, you can legally name your son O'Reilly.
Unfortunately, if you're a Brazilian soccer fan, you're not allowed to name him Pelé.
And, if you're a big music fan, don't even think about naming your child Björk or Motley Crüe. Umläuts are off-limits here in the Cowboy State.
Wyoming isn't the only state that prohibits baby names with foreign characters. In fact, most states do.
Some have argued that laws regulating baby names are unconstitutional. A recent effort to overturn a similar law in California was unsuccessful after learning that adding Spanish accents to birth records could cost state registrars nearly $10 million.
Compared to some other states, Wyoming's baby name rule doesn't seem so weird.
For example, in Wisconsin, parents can use a number in their child's name, but only if it's spelled out.
In Nebraska, parents are prohibited from using vulgar or obscene terms in their child's name.
Several states have limits on the length of baby names.
And in Florida, if the parents can't agree on a name, the state can legally name the child for them.