Saudi Arabia's Advisory On Naming Children

Saudi Arabia has issued a list of 50 names new parents are banned from giving their children, including Linda, Lauren, Sandy and Amir.

THE CHILDREN'S NAMES NOW BANNED IN SAUDI ARABIA

• Malaak (angel)
• Abdul Aati
• Abdul Naser
• Abdul Musleh
• Nabi (prophet)
• Nabiyya (female prophet)
• Amir (prince)
• Sumuw (highness)
• Al Mamlaka (the kingdom)
• Malika (queen)
• Mamlaka (kingdom)
• Tabarak (blessed)
• Nardeen
• Maya
• Linda
• Randa
• Basmala (utterance of the name of God)
• Taline
• Aram
• Nareej
• Rital
• Alice
• Sandy
• Rama (Hindu god)
• Maline
• Elaine
• Inar
• Maliktina
• Lareen
• Kibrial
• Lauren
• Binyamin (Arabic for Benjamin)
• Naris
• Yara
• Sitav
• Loland
• Tilaj
• Barrah
• Abdul Nabi
• Abdul Rasool
• Jibreel (angel Gabriel)
• Abdul Mu’een
• Abrar
• Iman
• Bayan
• Baseel
• Wireelam

Saudi Arabia's interior ministry justified the ban by saying the names either contradicted the culture or religion of the kingdom, or were foreign, or 'inappropriate'.
Among the others are Alice, Elaine and Maya and Binyamin, the Arabic name for Benjamin.

The names fit into at least three categories
 those that offend perceived religious sensibilities
 those that are affiliated to royalty and 
those that are of non-Arabic or non-Islamic origin