Judgment of the District Court of North Holland dated March 11, 2020

The petitioner has developed a very poor relationship with his father due to problems and experiences in the past. It was common practice around the time of the petitioner’s birth for the first son to be named after the father of one of the parents. In the petitioner’s case, he was given the first name and the nickname of his grandfather (petitioner). He has experienced his father’s attitude as very derogatory. At a later age, the petitioner repeatedly asked his father for an explanation of his attitude and requested him to treat the petitioner the same way as the other family members. However, this was in vain; instead of improvement, his behavior intensified and deteriorated.

The petitioner seeks closure for his past with his father through a name change. He expects that this may, on the one hand, lead to psychological recovery, but above all, it will have a (very) positive influence on his daily well-being since he will no longer be reminded of his traumatic past with his father on a daily basis through his first names. Every time he sees his names, he is reminded of his father. He no longer wants that.

Based on the petitioner’s motivation, the court grants the request. There was no oral hearing in court. After the expiration of the three-month period for appeal, the change will be effected by the municipality.