Judgment of the Rotterdam District Court of July 1, 2020
The petitioner has always disliked her current name, feeling it never suited her and developing a strong aversion to it during her teenage years.
Several years ago, she asked her father why she was given her name. He explained that naming children after family members was customary, which reinforced the petitioner’s feeling that her first name was not a deliberate choice by her parents.
The petitioner has been known as Michelle* since her early school years. This nickname continued until she entered higher education, where she was addressed by her official first name again. This creates awkward situations when she introduces herself, as she uses the nickname Michelle, but officially has a different first name. In her perception, it feels like dealing with two different people.
The petitioner believes that a name is part of one’s identity and that a first name is something one carries. However, she sees this as subjective and, to a certain extent, non-existent. Being given a particular first name is a fact of life for her; it’s hers, but it doesn’t fit her. Six years ago, she decided to use her original nickname, Michelle, as much as possible in social interactions. She wants to permanently distance herself from her official first name. Her friends, family, and acquaintances address her as Michelle and have respected her choice to abandon her official first name. She now wishes to permanently change her first name.
The court finds that the petitioner has sufficiently substantiated a significant interest in the request for a first name change and grants the request.
- The actual first name has been fictionalized.
