Judgment of the North Holland District Court dated January 6, 2021

The petitioner converted to the Islamic faith several years ago and, as part of this conversion, adopted an Arabic name. Since then, he has been living his life using this name. The petitioner considers the name important, particularly in connection with his religious beliefs. He wishes to officially bear this name and change his first name accordingly. Over the years, the petitioner has become known by his new name among friends, family, and acquaintances. The official name only occasionally resurfaces, and the petitioner has increasingly found this to be bothersome. It seems as though he is effectively living with two different identities.

Although the petitioner had considered changing his first name to the Arabic name some years ago, he deliberately waited. As time passed, his desire to change his first name only strengthened, leading him to officially request the name change. The name has become an integral part of his identity, to the extent that the petitioner no longer identifies with his official first name, or at least it seems to have no relevance to him.

The petitioner has provided evidence that he uses the new name in his daily life, and he submits this as part of the proceedings. Considering the significant importance for him to have the new first name officially recognized, he believes that the legal requirements have been met. It is not sufficient for him to use the name unofficially; he wants it formally documented. The petitioner also sees the name as a crucial aspect of his religious conviction.

The court determines that there is a sufficiently weighty interest and grants the request. Once the three-month period for potential appeals is concluded, the ruling will become final, and the court instructs the municipality to implement the name change.