They are hard to escape, these days, the names that will cause numerous hardships in the playground. From the pop star wannabees (Courtney, Kylie, Britney), through locations (China, Brooklyn), passing by the shops (Timberland, Armani), along the hippy trail (Leaf, Sunset, Pagan) to those heading for trouble (Romeo, Chastity) the inspirations for baby names are countless. Parents looking for novelty might turn to famous sidekicks (Tonto, Garfunkel) or indeed dictators (Saddam, Benito) before settling on a name that sounds normal but is damn tricky to spell (Kaycee, Genni, Jho).

Joe Borgenicht offers nearly 1500 names which absolutely, positively, cannot be used for a child. With the help of WHAT NOT TO NAME YOUR BABY, readers are less likely to have their children resent them - well, okay, that's a stretch - but at least the parents can say they tried.