Kirsten Drysdale submitted the name to the New South Wales Births, Deaths and Marriages registry as part of national broadcaster ABC’s new show What the FAQ.

“We thought we would submit the most outrageous name we could think of, assuming it would be rejected,” Drysdale said. “But it didn’t turn out that way – unfortunately Methamphetamine Rules slipped through the cracks.”

In response, a Births, Deaths and Marriages spokesperson acknowledged the oversight, mentioning the “unusual name” had “unfortunately slipped through”.

They further clarified: “A name registered at birth remains on the NSW Births, Deaths and Marriages Register forever,” even if changed later.

Drysdale also considered the name “Nangs Rule”, referring to Australian slang for nitrous oxide canisters. “We chose methamphetamine thinking there’s no way that anyone will see that word and think it’s OK,” she explained.

Contrary to Drysdale’s belief that the registry might choose a replacement name if one was rejected, the spokesperson clarified it “does not choose what name parents give a child”.

However, the state rules state that if parents don’t provide an alternative for an unregistrable name, the registrar may assign one.