You can register your child’s name in any language providing you use any Unicode character

As late as 2015, the rules in Northern Ireland regarding registering the birth of a baby [when the site asks, say you want the Mobile version] specify that “You can register your child’s name in any language providing you use any Unicode character.”

A friend of mine was tempted to see how far he could push that rule.

Could you really name your child U+2603 SNOWMAN or U+1F4A9 PILE OF POO or U+1D5EB MATHEMATICAL SANS-SERIF BOLD CAPITAL X?

And you thought Little Bobby Tables was confusing. Imagine the havoc you could create by naming your child U+200F RIGHT-TO-LEFT-MARK or U+FFFD REPLACEMENT CHARACTER or U+FEFF BYTE ORDER MARK!

This month marks the 25th birthday of Unicode.

The original link appears no longer to be valid. Were people naming their kid U+1F4A9 PILE OF POO? The current rules do not mention the “any Unicode character” part.