Judgment of the Amsterdam District Court dated May 12, 2021

The applicants are of Sri Lankan origin and have recently become parents of a daughter. They made a mistake during the birth registration, as their daughter’s first name was supposed to be Ameesha.* They have registered their daughter as Ameesa. This name is of Sri Lankan origin and spelled as Ameesa in the Hindustani culture, but not in Sri Lankan culture. Both applicants are of Sri Lankan origin, which makes the name misspelled.

The reason for the incorrect name was that the mother had a difficult delivery. She initially chose the name Ameesha. After the birth, she went through a period of depression and was in a reintegration process at work. The father works in shifts, which made the post-birth period more challenging for her. It took a year before she had the capacity for other matters. She wanted to change the name earlier, but due to these events, she couldn’t do it earlier. The father agrees with the requested change by the mother, and together, they want to change the names of the child to Ameesha.

The year 2021 has been relatively good for the applicants so far. The mother is back to her old self, and the child is becoming more independent, reducing the pressure on childcare.

The applicants now want to give their daughter the name they initially intended for her.

The court finds that the applicants have a sufficiently significant reason for this name change request and grants the request (in writing). There was no oral hearing held.

*The real name is fictional.