Detailed description
If you want to change your first name, there must be an important reason that justifies the name change. There are important reasons if your private interests worthy of protection as the bearer of the name in the change of name outweigh the public interest or a private interest of third parties in keeping your name.
Important reasons are for example:
- religious motives,
- if the name triggers psychological problems (e.g. through associations)
- if there is a risk of confusion,
- if the name sounds offensive or ridiculous and is awkward to pronounce or complicated to write, or
- after a sex change.
A name change is out of the question if you don't like your name, for example names of foreign language origin. A name change is also not justified if you want to make identification by creditors more difficult.
For children over the age of 1 and under the age of 16, you can only change the first name for serious reasons in the best interests of the child.