Judgment of the Rotterdam Court dated October 2, 2019
The applicant has been bullied since a young age, which at times made her so unhappy that she attempted suicide twice. Due to depression and processing this period, the applicant has been under the care of a psychologist since 2016.
The applicant wishes to make a fresh start with the intended name change: on one hand, because she no longer wants to be associated with her traumatic past through her current first names, and on the other hand, because she believes that her current first name, Lynn, is a “soft” name that no longer suits her personality.
To further support her importance for the requested name change, she refers to a statement from her psychologist. Given her motivation, the applicant believes she has a sufficiently weighty interest in the request for a name change. She wants to close the chapter on her past and make a fresh start, to which the intended name change will contribute positively. In this context, the applicant refers to a ruling by the Court of Appeal in Arnhem-Leeuwarden dated April 14, 2015, ECLI: NL: GHARL: 2015: 2682, r.o. 4.4:
“The Court [is], unlike the District Court, of the opinion that the petitioner has sufficiently demonstrated that he has a significant interest in the requested change of his first names. The petitioner has stated convincingly that he is heavily emotionally burdened when confronted with his official first names.”
In the mentioned procedure, the petitioner was bullied for a period of 10 years, similar to the applicant’s situation in this procedure. However, unlike the petitioner in that procedure, the applicant’s first name, Lynn, is her first name and call name.
Based on the applicant’s motivation, the court is of the opinion that the applicant has sufficiently demonstrated a significant interest in the request. The court approves the request for a name change.
- The actual first name is fictional.
