Judgment of the Central Netherlands District Court on March 29, 2021
The petitioner has been using the name Marijke* her entire life, but at her birth, her parents forgot to officially register this name. As a result, she has never obtained this name officially on her birth certificate.
In her daily life, the petitioner experiences a lot of inconvenience due to this missing registration. Her passport displays an official name that differs from her common name. This often leads her into discussions with others regarding her name (both in business and in private life), and she frequently has to explain to others that her actual name is Marijke. This frequently results in uncomfortable conversations for her. The petitioner believes that making her common name Marijke official would contribute to her daily well-being and happiness, as she would no longer need to explain this to others. It would also strengthen her sense of identity, as every time she is confronted with the data on her passport, it feels like she cannot truly be herself; the names seem to refer to someone else. The petitioner has been using the common name Marijke since her early childhood.
The petitioner submits several pieces of evidence in the proceedings to demonstrate that she uses the common name Marijke in her daily life. She believes that she has a sufficiently substantial interest in the request for a first name change, as it essentially formalizes the common name that has existed for years.
Based on the petitioner’s explanation, the court grants the request. No oral hearing took place.
- The actual first name is fictional.
