Judgment of the North Netherlands Court dated June 26, 2019

The applicant has a son who is almost finished with primary school. Her son is increasingly experiencing inconvenience in his daily life due to his current first names, which is affecting his happiness significantly. One of the reasons for this is that friends, family, and acquaintances address him by the first name Maruan*, and he is also known as such at school and in sports clubs.

The inconvenience that the applicant’s son experiences with his current first names mainly involves a strong sense of shame. It goes so far that her son even experiences psychological issues due to his first name. Her son is currently in the last grade of primary school and is dreading his transition to secondary school in September 2019 due to his current first names. With the requested name change, he wishes to make a new, fresh start so that he can establish casual contacts with others without being hindered by his current first names. This will also contribute to his identity development and happiness.

The applicant’s son expects that the daily inconvenience related to his first names will gradually increase as he reaches an age where he will need to identify himself through official documents and handle independent matters. Currently, this prospect makes him feel down because, especially due to his transition to secondary school, it is essential for him to change his first name. Considering the fact that he will be entering adolescence, which is a critical phase in identity development, he has a compelling interest in the requested name change.

Based on the applicant’s motivation and the written explanation from her son, the court grants the request. No child interview has taken place (handled in writing). A child interview typically takes place if there is a reason to do so or if the child has not expressed their opinion in writing.

*The real first name has been fictionalized.