Name Watch – highlights from the past fortnight (14–28 July 2025)
Choosing, defending and even removing names kept making headlines right up to the end of July. Here is a quick round‑up for our readers in Oz.
1. ‘Kelce Taylor’ joins the Chiefs Kingdom
A Missouri couple welcomed their daughter on 25 July and honoured pop‑culture’s power pair by naming her Kelce Taylor – a playful nod to Taylor Swift and NFL star Travis Kelce. Liberty Hospital posed the newborn next to a Chiefs jersey and called her the “youngest Swiftie in the Red Kingdom”.
2. A$500 bribe to rescue ‘Isla’
Family drama erupted on Reddit when a 30‑year‑old woman offered her pregnant sister five hundred bucks not to use the name Isla – the moniker she has dreamed of for years. Commenters pointed out that no one can reserve a name, especially one sitting comfortably in the US top‑100.
3. ‘Tom’ on the naughty list
The Sun refreshed its viral list of 23 baby names that are officially off‑limits somewhere in the world. Alongside Nutella, Ikea and Brfxxccxx…11116, the line‑up now spotlights plain old Tom, which Portugal rejects unless parents use the full form Tomás.
4. Trump v Commanders – name fight goes extra time
On 21 July President Donald Trump threatened to block a new stadium deal unless Washington’s NFL side ditched the Commanders and returned to Redskins. He also urged MLB’s Cleveland Guardians to reclaim Indians, rekindling the long‑running argument over Indigenous mascots.
5. Fort Hood rides again
The US Army has reversed its 2023 renaming of Fort Cavazos, Texas, returning to Fort Hood – this time honouring World War I hero Colonel Robert B. Hood. Critics say the surname‑swap skirts a federal ban on Confederate tributes without changing the optics. The re‑dedication ceremony took place on 28 July.
Why it matters for Australia
Even though these stories come from abroad, they echo issues we see here – from the recent review of Australia’s own banned‑names list to ongoing debates about Indigenous place names. They are a reminder that names are never just labels – they carry culture, history and a fair bit of personal pride.
Compiled by the "Names in Australia" team – always in Aussie English, always with a hyphen, never a long dash.