Judgment of the District Court of Central Netherlands dated February 17, 2020
The petitioner strongly dislikes their official first names, Marcella Catherine.* This is because these names remind them of their father, with whom they have no connection at all.
When the petitioner’s mother was pregnant with them, their father’s only reaction was that they should get rid of them. Soon after, the petitioner’s parents’ relationship broke down, and their mother decided to raise them as a single parent. To create a connection between the petitioner and their father, their mother decided to name them after their father, Marcel, at the time of their birth. In the petitioner’s perception, their father’s behavior has been marked by lies, including the fact that it turned out their father’s real name was not Marcel. Unfortunately, a close bond between the petitioner and their father never developed.
From a young age, the petitioner used another name. They often made up different names with their friend at home. At school, they used the name Marcella, but they did not want to associate with children who knew them by this name. They wanted to keep the name as far away from them as possible. The petitioner has always detested introducing themselves to someone and having to say their name; they have a very strong aversion to the name Marcella and all possible variations of it. It is not their name, and it never has been. It felt like they were lying every time they used the name Marcella. The petitioner regards the name as coming from someone who rejected them.
Based on the petitioner’s motivation, the court grants the request (in writing). There was no oral hearing in court.
- Real first name is fictional.
