Judgment of the Oost-Brabant District Court dated January 21, 2020

The applicant is originally from China and has been experiencing strong discomfort with his official first name since his early childhood. Others find the name of the applicant inappropriate because, in the Netherlands, it closely resembles a common female first name.

The applicant expressed his desire to have a different first name to his parents from a young age, but initially, they did not know how to handle the situation. His school offered the alternative of using a self-chosen nickname, which the applicant decided to adopt. Since then, others have also addressed him by that nickname. It brought the applicant a sense of peace, but from time to time, he is still confronted with the fact that his official name differs from his nickname, such as during his diploma ceremony. Such moments cause the applicant (severe) discomfort and remind him of the many instances of bullying and unpleasant experiences in the past.

In addition, the applicant has an original Cantonese name that is the same in Mandarin Chinese as his self-chosen nickname. By changing his first name, the applicant wishes to make his nickname official and align it with his original Cantonese name.

Based on the applicant’s explanation, the court is of the opinion that he has a sufficiently weighty interest in the request for a change of first name. The court grants the request.