Judgment of the Central Netherlands District Court of August 17, 2020

The petitioner was born in Friesland. Since his parents were originally Frisian, he was given typical Frisian first names. From his early childhood, the petitioner has found these names to be a nuisance, as it often happens that his first name is mispronounced. Even the petitioner himself could not pronounce his own first name correctly, which has led to him developing a strong aversion to his first name. He does not feel connected to this name, and every time he is confronted with it, it feels to him as if it refers to someone else.

When the petitioner started his studies, he chose to use a new first name. Since then, he has lived under a nickname he chose for himself. This has made him happy. He is also known by this nickname among family, friends, and acquaintances. However, in some situations, the petitioner is still confronted with his official first name, for example, when he needs to handle important matters, including banking. For the petitioner, it feels like it concerns someone else, as he has not identified with this first name since the early 2000s. The petitioner wishes to prevent this for now and the future so that he can go through life under the nickname that has existed for many years. On the other hand, he wishes to keep his second and third names.

Considering the petitioner’s reasoning, the court believes that there is a sufficiently significant interest in the request for a change of first name. The court grants the request.