Parents who are thinking of naming their kids after movie characters such as Harry Potter, James Bond and Rambo, or even after historical mainstays like Hitler and Lady Di, or even Twitter or Facebook, have pity on them. Such names actually degrade them and could open doors to bullying, according to the civil registry in Sonora, Mexico.

The northern Mexican state bordering Arizona has released a list of 61 names which parents may not use for their children.

"It's about protecting children," Cristina Ramirez, the director of Sonora's Civil Registry, said. "We want to make sure children's names don't get them bullied in school."

"The law is very clear because it prohibits giving children names that are derogatory or that don't have any meaning and that can lead to bullying," she said.

Among the barred baby names include

  • Burger King
  • Rambo
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Robocop
  • James Bond
  • Harry Potter
  • Christmas Day
  • Rolling Stone
  • Virgin
  • Cesarean
  • Circumcision
  • Yahoo
  • Pocahontas
  • Spinach
  • Rocky
  • Mistress
  • US Navy
  • Terminator
  • Hitler
  • Lady Di
  • Email
  • Virgin
  • Scrotum
  • Hermione
  • Batman
  • Private
  • Sponsorship
  • Traffic
  • Martian
  • Rolling Stone
  • Panties
  • Illuminated

"Some people are saying were are attacking the liberty of parents," Ms Ramirez told the Guardian. "We think these names attack the superior interests of the child."

The list would be revised every few months, with new names added as they come.