THE HAGUE – The Rechtbank Den Haag has approved a legal request to change the first names of a minor child, citing both the father’s Curaçaoan background and practical complications involving international travel documents.
The case involved a request by the child’s Vietnamese mother, who asked the court to replace the multiple first names originally registered by the father at birth with a shorter alternative.
According to court documents, the mother argued that the shorter name better reflected the father’s Curaçao heritage and would be more practical for official documentation.
She also told the court that the child’s original combination of several long first names had created difficulties when applying for a visa for Vietnam. Vietnamese authorities reportedly indicated that the full name was too long to be properly processed on the visa document.
The ruling showed that the father had intentionally chosen multiple first names at birth, some of which were based on his own name.
However, the mother said she had already expressed during pregnancy that she preferred a shorter and different name for the child. Although she initially agreed to the registration, she later changed her position.
The parents’ relationship ended approximately six months after the child was born. Since then, the mother said she has consistently used the shorter preferred name in daily life.
During the court hearing, the father stated that he no longer objected to the requested name change.
The court concluded that there was a “substantial interest” justifying the change and ruled that the new name is legally permissible.
As a result, the request to amend the child’s official first names was granted.