Judgment of the Rotterdam District Court dated July 9, 2021

The petitioner was born and raised in Iran. Since the age of 10, she stopped using her official first name. She has had a desire for several years to have this name removed. The name is associated with the Islamic faith, but the petitioner is not religious.

The petitioner’s father previously tried to change her name in Iran when she was still a minor, but it was not accepted at the time. As a result, it was not possible to change her name there.

For several years, the petitioner has been using a self-selected nickname, and she is known by this name among family, friends, and acquaintances. She wants to distance herself from her original name because it significantly hinders her daily life. Her official name does not suit her, and she prefers that her name does not give the impression that she is religious.

The petitioner possesses a legalized birth certificate from Iran, which is required to grant the request for a name change. Since the certificate includes all the necessary legalizations, it can be registered in the Netherlands. The court grants the request for a name change based on the petitioner’s motivation. Following the ruling, the birth certificate will be automatically registered, allowing the petitioner to use the chosen nickname from now on.