Journalist Kirsten Drysdale and her husband Chris recently welcomed their third child.
Unfortunately, the boy’s legal name is registered under the name Methamphetamine.
The NSW registry was unable to explain how this name came into being, despite its strict rules against offensive names.
A spokesperson for the Drysdales told reporters that they’ve since taken steps to prevent this from happening again.
Although it’s understandable that a mistake like this would happen, why did Kirsten name her son after the drug?
She was working on a story for an ABC program called WTFAQ, which is about investigating the answers to viewer questions.
The question of what can I legally name a baby has been a recurring one for Drysdale.
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While researching for a story about the topic, she was trying to figure out what the Registrar’s default names are for babies.
Since she was about to become a mother, she decided that it was the perfect time to ask the government agency responsible for the registry questions herself.
She and her husband thought of an outrageous name for their child, and they submitted it to the registry.
However, they were surprised to see that the name was approved.
After a couple of weeks, Drysdale received her son’s birth certificate, which listed his name as Methamphetamine Rules.
She said she doesn’t know how it happened, and she’s not sure if the person responsible for the registry was overworked or if it was an automated mistake.
The registry has not provided the Drysdales with a clear explanation as to how this name came into being.
The Registrar said that it was a rare instance of oversight, and the boy’s real name should be approved soon.
The name of the child is a beautiful one, and the family is not associated with the illegal substance.
A spokesperson for the NSW Deaths, Marriages, and Births registry said that it has since changed its procedures to prevent similar mistakes from happening in the future.
The spokesperson noted that names that were registered at birth are still on the register, even if the parents change their names.
The Registrar is working with the Drysdales to correct the boy’s name.
Most parents do not choose to have their newborns’ names be offensive or obscene
. In most Australian states and territories, names deemed offensive or inappropriate are prohibited.
