The news that is both exciting and terrifying at the same time is to find out you are expecting a child. Whether it's your first or one of many, there are a lot of decisions that must be made.

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When you know you are expecting a child, you will ask yourself several questions, like:

-"How can we afford this?"

-"Do I need to start saving for college now?"

-"Do I need to purchase a bigger house?"

One of the first big lifetime decisions to be made is what name will be given to the child. Some families use traditional names, maybe a name that has been passed down through the generations. Others will start a new name tradition by making a totally new one for the child.

I can name my child anything, can’t I?

Well, the answer is it depends on which state you are located in.

Usbirthcertificates.com says “Parents in the United States have quite a lot of freedom when it comes to naming their children. The right to choose a child’s name, however, comes with a few restrictions. Most of these have been put in place either for practical reasons or to protect the child.”

Many states will limit the number of characters that can be used in a child’s name. Others restrict naming children with offensive terms or being named after someone who committed terrible events. Examples of those would include Adolf Hitler or Saddam Hussein.

What about here in Alabama?

According to The Bump, There are very few restrictions in Alabama on what a parent can name their child. However, a child’s name can only be in the English alphabet. Apostrophes and hyphens can be used, but it's illegal in Alabama to name a child using symbols or numbers.