Judgment of the District Court of The Hague on April 28, 2021

The petitioner is of Nigerian origin and has experienced inconvenience from her first name since a young age because it is uncommon in the Netherlands. She was teased at school because of her name, which quickly led to her developing a strong aversion to her first name.

The petitioner wishes to change her first names. The teasing experiences mentioned above are one reason for this, but also because her name is often mispronounced in the Netherlands. Her name can be pronounced in various ways, including the stress on certain letters in her first name. The petitioner often has to explain to others how her name should be pronounced, and she finds this exhausting. She is also embarrassed by her name because it is uncommon in the Netherlands, and it is often mispronounced for that reason.

Finally, since entering high school, the petitioner has been using a self-chosen nickname. This makes her happy, and she has been using this name as much as possible in her daily life. All the discomfort related to shame and mispronunciation of the name has disappeared because of this. However, the official name still frequently resurfaces, and because the petitioner no longer uses the name in daily life, it often confuses others. Because only negative memories are associated with the official first name of the petitioner, she wishes to formalize her nickname.

The court rules that the petitioner has a sufficiently substantial interest in the request for a change of first name. The request is granted (in writing).