Judgment of the North Holland District Court dated July 15, 2021
The petitioner experiences daily inconvenience due to his official first names. He believes that they imply he is of Arabic origin, which is not the case. The petitioner was born and raised in the Netherlands. He also believes that his names imply that he practices the Islamic faith, which is also not the case. It bothers him that his names limit him in his daily life.
The petitioner contends that his distress is not only emotional but also practical; he believes that he is discriminated against because of his names, which has led to job loss. He is convinced that his names restrict him in terms of job participation and the job market. As the years go by, the name weighs increasingly heavily on the petitioner, and he would like to be rid of the psychological burden that the name carries. The petitioner believes that formalizing his self-chosen given name, Daniel*, would strengthen his sense of daily happiness. Finally, it is relevant that during his youth, the petitioner was a victim of domestic violence by his father. Often, his name was shouted during these incidents, which has resulted in a traumatic experience for the petitioner. He continues to suffer from psychological issues as a result, and the name continually reminds him of the traumatic past with his father. The petitioner no longer wants to experience this distress and believes that formalizing the given name Daniel will strengthen his sense of identity and self-worth. The petitioner also has the desire to change his surname so that he will no longer be inconvenienced by it. He will take the necessary steps to do so in the near future.
The court finds it plausible that the petitioner has a sufficiently compelling interest in the request for a first name change. The court grants the request for a first name change.
- The actual first name is fictional.
