Morocco Eases First Name Restrictions, Introduces New Approval Process

If the officers do not agree with the first name, they will then have to submit the case to a commission which will issue a decision of acceptance or rejection, providing a justification.

The civil status officer is then informed of the commission’s decision through a digital system, which transmits this decision to the person who made the first name declaration. This reform is part of a context of frequent public debate on the choice of first names, particularly Amazigh, according to TelQuel.

The legislation still stipulates that the chosen first name must not be contrary to morality or public order, must not be ridiculous or be the name of a city, village or tribe, and must not contain more than two first names. It is also specified that the declared first name must be confirmed before the surname during registration in the civil status and must not be followed by a title or a quality, such as Moulay, Sidi, Lalla, or a number or a figure.