First name change for children of Dutch Nationality can be requested via a court procedure. The name change procedure is essentially the same for adults as for children. We explain the process for changing first names of adults here.

A parent or legal guardian with legal authority can request a change of one or more names of a minor child. The name change can regard either first and/ or middle names.

Some examples of name change requests for children are:

• The original birth name is misspelled;
• When registering the child’s names, a middle name was accidentally omitted;
• The parents want to add a name of a beloved family member;
• The child identifies as non-binary or gender fluid and wants to use a different name to their birth name;
• The child has always been known by another name within the family and parents want to add this to or replace the birth name.

If a request is not made by both parents with parental authority, the court will schedule a hearing and invite the other parent to give their opinion on the proposed name change. When a parent with parental authority refuses to cooperate with the name change, the other parent can request the court for special permission to change the child’s name. The name change can then take place without the other parent’s consent. Requesting special permission is an extra procedure, which is not included in our standard price package(s).

For the name change procedure, extra documentation may also be necessary to prove parental authority.

If you want more information on first name change for children, please feel free to contact us.

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