Judgment of the District Court of The Hague dated April 20, 2020

The applicant experiences daily hindrance from her first name. The reason for this is that she has been a witness to domestic violence by her father in the past. She witnessed her father physically abusing her mother at a young age – her first memories dating back to when she was around seven years old. The father of the applicant was dominant in the family and kept all family members in line, to the extent that they were not allowed to do much without his approval. For instance, the applicant was not allowed to participate in sports, and she often had to stay at home when she wanted to go outside, which continued until her teenage years. As a result, the applicant has hardly any pleasant memories of her childhood, particularly concerning her father.

Later on, the applicant discovered that her official first name is a reference to her father’s ex-partner. This discovery, combined with the aforementioned circumstances, led the applicant to decide that she did not want to continue living with her official first name. However, at that time, she refrained from initiating a name change procedure because she anticipated questions from her surroundings and would have to explain that she no longer wanted to go by her current official first name. She was concerned that this would bring up too many personal issues from her past.

In the meantime, the applicant has had no contact with her father, nor have her siblings. However, her relationship with her mother remains good. A few years ago, the applicant informed her sister that she no longer wanted to live with her current official first name. Together, they came up with a new name, a choice that brought the applicant much joy. Now, she wishes to use this name in her daily life but faces some obstacles. She wants her current employer to register her under her new name, but the employer refuses to do so. As a result, the applicant is once again confronted with her official first name and all the associations linked to it from her past. The applicant strongly wishes to avoid this and would like to go through life using her new name exclusively. She wants no reminders of her current official first name in any way.

The court, given the applicant’s motivation, believes that there is a sufficiently weighty interest. It grants the request (in writing).