When you adopt a kid do you get to named them?

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

They usually have a name already. Although many adopters re-name them to stamp their 'ownership' upon them.

People will say it doesn't matter if you change an infants name, 'cos they're so young. I disagree. Infants grow up and they have an opinion. I am so proud of my parents for honoring and keeping my given name

Source(s):

Adopted as an infant. Name honored and intact

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

okay thanks. i didnt think they had names for infants

Answer 2

Depends on how old they are and how bad you want to confuse them. I've heard of older kids getting re-named when they came from overseas..and babies being re-named alot.

Answer 3

if its an open adotion here in the state that deppend on the birthmom and the contract you both right up.

If its over seas yes you can rename a child at any age

and if its an older child her in the states you still can but if the child dosnt want to then no its up to the child most will do it but the older they get its unlikely

Answer 4

You can, but think about the CHILD and not your wants.

When a child is adopted, s/he loses his or her biological family...perhaps forever. His/her birth certificate is permanently altered to list you as the biological parent, which is a lie. The child has already lost so much, why take away his or her name?

Answer 5

Yes you can. My cousin choose her name after she got adopted. Her name was Hennessey after the alcohol and she hated it so she changed it after she got adopted. And my other cousin had her name changed also for a similar reason but if the child likes their name don't change it. Its their Identity.

Answer 6

I know a family with two adopted daughters from China, the girls were both young when they were adopted. The parents gave them english first names, and used their chinese names as their middle names.

Answer 7

Well, if you adopt from the foster system, you are not even allowed to remain a newborn, the first name must stay, sometimes you are allowed to change the middle name, my adoptive parents were able to because they kept my first and middle name combining them into one.

However, you have to keep the first name the same.

Source(s):

Adopted from the Foster System/Raised with 50 Foster Children In My Lifetime, many adopted.

Answer 8

Yeah, like most pets, kids don't come named. Just like lambs, puppies and kittens.

Oh, were you taking about a human being? Just leave the child with their own name!

Answer 9

It really depends when the kid ur adopting is a baby u can give him/her a name what ever u want but if ur adopting a (4-10) kid u must tell him/her if it's ok 2 change him/her name.

Source(s):

Just my opinion.

Answer 10

i was adopted at 8 months,my paren'ts changed my name(i was with them from age 5 months though) they kept my middle name though.i was never aware of my first name,and it doesn't bother me at all.in fact i prefer my adoptive name to my bio name.BUT i would not have approved of my name being changed had i been any older

Edit- i was adopted from Foster care,to save any confusion

Source(s):

adoptee

Answer 11

Depends on how old they are.

I named my son who was adopted as a newborn. His adoptive parents changed his first name and kept his second name.

Answer 12

In a newborn case you can name the child. The biological parents may name the child also, but you get to decide what name you want for the child.
Some people take the biological parents choice into consideration and sometimes integrate it with the name they chose.
In the case of a newborn the name choice is up to you.
As for an older child being adopted, that is a little harder. It would be best to stick to the name they have been living with, they are already trying to deal with their lives.
Good luck and I hope this helped you.

Answer 13

my biological mother named all the children, and only one of the boys changed his name because he was named after the biological father, he picked the named riley for him self, there were six of us, 3 boys three girls the rest of us kept our names we were named at birth only our middle names where changed.

Answer 14

In most circumstances, yes a name can be changed. My husband's name was changed when he was 14 years old against his will since he was being adopted from foster care. He could have been 17 years old and they still would have let the name change occur.

It is wrong to change a child's name in all circumstances. Children begin to recognize their names around age 4-6 months. Children have a sense of who they are and what they are called by that time. It is never in the child's best interest to change their name.

Answer 15

depends on how old they are. i was adopted as a baby and obv my parents gave me a name, i dunno if my b parents named me cos i have no access to my original birth cert. what i think is really wrong is when people rename an older kid. they dont seem to realise that a name, however trivial it may seem, is a huge part of our identity! even dogs know their own name and would get confused if it was changed, so why do it to a child? unless it is something ridiculous, like, i dunno, sleeping beauty, but even then, if the child likes it, keep it in the name somewhere. people shouldnt be allowed name older adopted children its not fair and its usually on the whim of the adoptive parents.

Answer 16

Yes. Technically, legally, you can change the name of your child, adopted or biological, at any time before they are 18 - although after a certain point, if the child is unwilling, no judge will allow it.

My mother is adopted as an infant, and her parents changed her name. While she is happy with her adoptive name, she named my middle name after her original birth name, as a way of honoring it.

I have a good friend who was adopted at age 16, and who was given the option by her adoptive parents to choose a new name for herself if she desired, which she did.

I have a cousin who was adopted from Korea as an infant, and her parents changed her original (ethnic) name (which I do not know) to a very American sounding name. She has no problem with her name or the fact that it was changed.

I have no personal feelings about renaming adopted children, other than that if the child is old enough to know their own name, they should be given input in such a decision.

Source(s):

Family member and friend of many adoptees

Answer 17

You can but whether you should depends on the age of the child. In my view, any child over 2 months should probably keep their name.

Out of respect for them though...keep their name period. It's one of the few things they have that belongs to them from the start.

If they are unnamed...then it's up to you and hopefully, in consultation with the parent or parents who are relinquishing.

Just like anything else in life...just because we can, doesn't me we should.

Source(s):

Proud adoptive parent of a great kid who retains his original name.