2,380 Belgians applied for a name change in 2015

Last year, 2,380 Belgians requested an official name change, in line with an overall trend, which shows a gradual increase in the number of applications each year, especially over the past three years.

Of the 2,380 Belgians who applied to change their name in 2015, 1,170 wanted to change their surname, 1,002 wanted to change only their first name, and 208 wanted to change both their first and surname, according to figures from the FPS Justice. The number of name change applications continues to increase every year: In 2014 there were 2,143 applications, compared to 865 applications in 1997.

The FPS Justice stresses that a name change is “a favour and not a right”, and that there are several criteria that must be met. For example, there must be a good reason for the change, such as a ridiculous or embarrassing name. Another valid reason might be in the case of a person of foreign origin who has acquired Belgian nationality, but would prefer to have “a more European-sounding first name in order to facilitate integration,” according to an online brochure from the FPS Justice.

The online brochure also mentions “transsexuality” as a valid reason for a name change, provided there is an attest from a psychiatrist or endocrinologist.

A name change in Belgium can be a costly affair, with a minimum registration fee of €49 on top of a €740 fee, even for something as simple as replacing an uppercase letter with a lowercase one (such as Van de Broek instead of Van De Broek). A name change in the case of transsexuality is granted at the reduced rate of €49.

It takes about one to two years to complete the procedure for a surname change, and about six months to one year to change a first name.