Judgment of the Northern Netherlands District Court dated July 13, 2021

A mother would like to change the first name of her son, who is currently under supervision. The reason for this is that at the time of her son’s birth, she actually wanted to choose a certain name, but due to pressure from her parents and others, a different name was ultimately chosen. She regrets this and wants to change her child’s first name. The child is already being addressed by the new name chosen by the mother.

The (grand)parents found the name they chose for the child beautiful because it was a namesake. However, the mother deeply regrets this name choice and does not stand behind the decision. The minor has been placed in a foster family, and there too, he is addressed by the name chosen by the mother. Since the child is under the custody of a guardianship institution, the mother cannot formally submit a request for a first name change herself; only the guardianship institution, as the legal representative of the child, can do so.

It is important for the mother that she can give her son the name she originally wanted to give him. She also wants to prevent her parents from having any further involvement in her life and that of her son. She has experienced a lot in recent years and has symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSS).

The guardianship institution supports the mother’s wish to change the child’s first name and gives her permission to submit the request for a first name change. However, since the guardianship institution cannot submit a request for a first name change on its own, even though it is the legal representative of the child, they need to engage a lawyer for this purpose. The guardianship institution supports the mother’s wish to change the minor’s name. The name change is also important for the minor, as there is an inconsistent use of the nickname; the parties believe that the minor will likely experience difficulties with this in the long term.

The court finds it sufficiently plausible that the guardianship institution (on behalf of the mother) has a sufficiently weighty interest in the request for a first name change. The court grants the request for a first name change.