Judgment of the Rotterdam District Court dated December 17, 2020

The petitioner and her partner have had a daughter for several years. They gave the child a special name, but after the birth, it quickly became apparent that others often mispronounce their daughter’s name. The petitioners were unaware that others might have difficulty with the name.

They have since discovered that the name is relatively complex. They believe that their daughter may face challenges with the name later in life. For this reason, they wish to change the first name. Despite her young age, the child has also expressed that she does not like the name. The child also has a second first name, but she hardly uses it in her daily life.

The petitioners consider it important that their daughter has a beautiful first name, and it should be easily pronounceable by others. They want to remove the first and second names and change the child’s first name to Ely (not the real name). The petitioners also believe that changing the first name is essential for the child’s identity development.

The court grants the request (in writing). Thus, there is a sufficiently weighty interest in the request for a change of first name.