GWYNETH Paltrow named her daughter Apple. Elon Musk called his son X Æ A-Xii. In Malaysia, one couple named their son Muhammad Dhury Yan after the durian and their daughter Nur Rambutt'an after the rambutan.
The durian and rambutan children made it through registration, but not without a conversation with the authorities first.
Does the National Registration Department really discourage Malaysians from naming babies after fruits or colours?
Verdict:
TRUE
The National Registration Department (NRD) has official guidelines that classify baby names into three categories: objectionable names that are outright prohibited, undesirable names that the department will advise against, and names linked to hereditary titles that require verification.
Names of fruits, vegetables, animals, insects, colours, household items and food all fall under the "undesirable" category, according to NRD director-general Datuk Badrul Hisham Alias in a statement reported by The Star in March 2025.
So Durian, Rambutan, Mangosteen, Kuning, Hitam, Jingga, Monyet, Lipan, Senduk, Garfu and Cawan are all names the NRD would rather you did not give your child.
The list also extends to names based on natural phenomena like Hujan and Batu, names with negative connotations like Malang (unlucky) and Haram (forbidden), names with sexual references, and abbreviations like D, Mohd, Abd or M.
The legal basis for all of this sits under Section 16 of the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1957, which gives the Registrar-General the authority to accept or refuse to register any name deemed objectionable or undesirable.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail confirmed the framework in a written parliamentary reply in November 2025, explaining that the NRD introduced specific guidelines through Departmental Directive No. 8/2006, dated October 2, 2006, which outlines the procedure for naming children during birth registration.
"This directive serves as guidance for all registrars when processing birth registration applications at NRD counters to ensure that the names registered comply with the prescribed procedures," said Saifuddin.
Here is the BUT, and it is the part that makes this story more interesting than a simple yes or no.
Despite the guidelines, the NRD does not impose hard restrictions on names in the "undesirable" category. If parents insist on registering a name the department considers undesirable, they can still do so.
"There are no restrictions for parents naming their children and the decision lies fully with them," the NRD told The Star in 2018, adding that the department had guidelines and would advise parents who wanted to register a name that might not be appropriate, but the final decision remained with the family.
NRD deputy director-general Jasri Kasim put it similarly in an interview with Bernama: "The NRD does not stop parents from giving their children any name, but if the name affects the recipient, then the department will propose other suitable names."
This is exactly what happened with the couple who named their children after durian and rambutan.
The NRD flagged the names as undesirable, advised the parents accordingly, and when the parents insisted, the names were registered.
Parents who proceed with an undesirable name are required to provide a sworn statement confirming they understood the advice and chose to go ahead.
So the system works more like a firm nudge than a wall.
The NRD will sit you down, explain why Durian might not serve your child well on a job application in 25 years, and if you still want to go ahead, hand you a form to sign.
There is, however, a separate category where the NRD does draw a hard line.
Names classified as "objectionable" cannot be registered under any circumstances. These include official titles and honorifics such as Tan Sri, Datuk, Tun, Haji, Nabi, Governor, Dr and Mahaguru. No sworn statement will get you past that one.
For hereditary titles such as Tengku, Megat, Syed, Sharifah and Nik, the NRD will assess whether the title is genuinely inherited through the father's lineage in a lawful marriage before approving its use.
Non-Muslim families are also required to adhere to naming guidelines, which prohibit names that imply divinity.
Parents who have already registered a name they later regret can apply to change it, provided the child is under one year old.
The NRD has also noted a growing trend of parents submitting excessively long names.
The longest registered name on record contains 15 words, while the shortest is just two letters.
Since 2024, the department has received 1,575 applications from parents seeking to shorten names on birth certificates, with Badrul Hisham advising parents to consider the practical implications of long names when filling in official forms or handling matters such as marriage registration.
So yes, the NRD does actively discourage Malaysians from naming babies after fruits, colours, animals and a long list of other categories it considers undesirable.
But if your heart is truly set on calling your firstborn Rambutan, all you need is a pen and enough conviction to sign a sworn statement saying you meant it.
Sources:
1. https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2025/03/27/familiar-names-still-popular-among-muslim-newborns
4. https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/10/06/no-naming-restriction-for-parents-says-nrd
