Judgment of the Rotterdam District Court of June 24, 2020

The petitioner experiences inconvenience in daily life due to his official first name, mainly because, although not raised in an Islamic household, his first name references Islam as it is the name of a prophet in Islam.

The petitioner lives according to the norms and values prevalent in the Netherlands and does not consider himself a practicing Muslim. However, he has managed to align his life as much as possible with the norms and values of Islam.

Over the years, the petitioner has realized that his official first name hinders his daily functioning as it associates him with the Islamic faith. He does not mind this association, but he faces issues when others expect him to live entirely according to Islamic norms and values. The petitioner does not see himself as a practicing Muslim and disagrees with this expectation.

Additionally, the petitioner faces discomfort as friends, family, and acquaintances, who mostly know that his first name references a prophet in Islam, increasingly express their disapproval of his lifestyle and beliefs. This situation makes him feel as if he is committing some form of blasphemy through his name, leading to negative confrontations. Therefore, he decided to change his first name to a chosen nickname and now seeks to formalize this nickname through this procedure, distancing himself from his official first name.

Considering the petitioner’s motivation, the court approves the request. There was no oral hearing.