'Baby Meth': Gobsmacking baby name approved by Registrar after journalist’s experiment goes wrong

Kirsten Drysdale is a journalist for the ABC. She had been working on a story about baby names as part of an 8-part series called What the FAQ. People wanted to know how outrageous a name had to be before it was rejected by the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages and what default names were given in that case.

She couldn't get a clear answer from the government’s media team, so she decided to carry out an innocent experiment. As she was heavily pregnant with her third child, she and her husband Chris agreed to choose the most outlandish name and submit it, fully expecting to receive a rejection and therefore find out what default name would be assigned to their baby.

As the journalist told news.com.au:

We thought, what is the most outrageous name we can think of that will definitely not be accepted?

The baby’s name was accepted

They came up with a pretty good one: Methamphetamine Rules. But once the baby was born and the name submitted, the couple were shocked to find the name had been approved!

This ‘lighthearted, curious attempt to get an answer’ to Drysdale’s question resulted in a speedy acceptance from the Registrar and an official birth certificate delivered by post with Methamphetamine Rules noted as the baby’s legal name.

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A happy ending for the baby

Drysdale has explained she was extremely surprised and wondered whether ‘someone was overworked, or if it was automated somewhere… Or possibly, maybe they thought Methamphetamine was a Greek name.’

The Registrar admitted it was a rare oversight and has tightened up their system to prevent it from happening again. Thankfully, they have also agreed to the baby’s ‘normal’ name, which should get approved very soon.

The journalist has jokingly referred to her little one as ‘Baby Meth’ and disclosed that its new name will have nothing to do with class A drugs.

What a great fun fact for her child to break out later in life.

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Sources used:

news.com.au: ABC journalist Kirsten Drysdale’s wild name for newborn son

Sky News: Baby of ABC journalist legally named Methamphetamine Rules in experiment gone wrong