Judgment of the North Holland Court on May 26, 2021

The petitioner is originally of foreign origin and was given a foreign first name at birth. Because he was born and raised in the Netherlands, he finds the name burdensome for various reasons.

For much of his life, he has been teased about his name, which started during his childhood. He has never liked his name, in part because he grew up in a predominantly “white neighborhood.” As a result, he noticed that his name stood out. Throughout his life, the petitioner has heard many different variations of his name.

The petitioner would like to change his first name. Another reason for this request is that his name is often mispronounced. This is because the name contains an “ö” sound, which is not present in the Dutch alphabet. In the Netherlands, he has often noticed that the “ö” is pronounced as “o.” Since he has been teased about his name from a young age, he has developed a strong aversion to it. This aversion is so strong that it causes him discomfort when he has to introduce himself to new people, leading to stress reactions. Introductions are also burdensome for him; for example, if he has to introduce himself with his official name, it almost always results in responses like “What’s your name?” or “What did you say?” He then has to repeat or spell the name, which is accompanied by many negative emotions.

Furthermore, it is important to note that the petitioner has no affinity with his country of origin and its associated culture. He attempted to renounce his dual nationality in the past, but it was prevented by the embassy.

Since he was 13/14 years old, the petitioner has been using a self-chosen nickname. He has tried to use this nickname as much as possible, but he was significantly limited because the name was not officially registered. Until his current employer, the petitioner used the nickname. Occasionally, he still encounters his official name, which he no longer wants. He wants to officially register the nickname he has been using for many years so that he can permanently distance himself from his official first name. This would strengthen his sense of self-worth and identity, and the daily discomfort associated with his first name is expected to be entirely eliminated.

The court grants the request. No oral hearing was held.