(no subject)

[http://users.livejournal.com/-----citylight/]

Hey everyone.

I have just made a post about my friend who is adopting a baby.

It made me wonder; what are your thoughts on keeping the original name of an adopted child?

Would you use it as a first name? A middle name? Completely scratch it all together. Would you want the name to at least reflect some of the child's heritage? Would you be more concerned about them fitting into a western society?

For me, I suppose it would depend on the situation. If I was adopting an older child, I would keep the name they had been given. A name is a part of a person's identity and I wouldn't want to take that away. A younger child, who is still forming the concept of who they are, I would probably use it as their as a middle name.
(I respect everyone's right to their own thoughts and decisions, this is just mine)

Let me know what you think?

Comments

[nobodynomore.livejournal.com]

I would likely use their original name as a middle name.

[jexia]

My aunt was adopted (at around 18 months). She was originally Jasmine but they renamed her to Karen Jasmine. To me it would totally depend on the situation - how old they were, particularly, but also if it was a kre8iv name.

[brittmarie.livejournal.com]

If they were older, I would keep their name.

If they were younger I would probably change it completely unless it were a situation like on Teen Mom with Caitlin (open adoption, deciding together, etc) or if I really loved their name.

[queenof1000days.livejournal.com]

Personally having been adopted myself at the age of six weeks, my adoptive parents (for lack of a better term) changed my name from Robin to Becky. Which I'm happy they did because Robin is so nms. But if they were an older child, I think I would keep their name, depending on the circumstances (if the kid liked their name, creative spellings, etc.) But if they were younger and I didn't like the name for whatever reason, I would definitely change it.

[alyssa22.livejournal.com]

I know a girl who was adopted from Korea, along with her brother, when they were little.

The adoptive parents kept their last name (Kim) and used it as their middle name. For both kids.

[waitingonsunday.livejournal.com]

I would probably use part of their original name as their middle name, if they were younger. If they were older, I'd keep their original name. When I was in fifth grade, I started a new school, and I remember a girl being pointed out to me as, "Lindsay Smith...I mean, Becky Gardiner. She used to be Lindsay Smith." She had been adopted by relatives the year before and they had changed her entire name, first middle, and last, when she was 10 years old. Even then, that seemed odd to me, but for all I know, she was fine with it. I noticed a lot of people couldn't get used to it, and called her by her original name, which she was always quick to correct. It seems like that would be trying enough as an adult, let alone as a child.

[harinakshi.livejournal.com]

For older children, definitely keep their names. But a baby? I'd give them a completely new name. I'd have to really love their name to keep it anywhere in their name. That's part of having a baby, regardless of HOW you have it, naming it, so I'd want to give it my own name that I would have picked out had I had them naturally.

[duckduckcaboose.livejournal.com]

I would do the same.

[forloveofbaby.livejournal.com]

My husband was adopted when he was 12m and my ILs kept his given name (Jay) but used it as a middle name since they weren't *really* fans. He is legally John Jay.

[allie-sheppard.livejournal.com]

I had a class mate from India who was adopted as a small child (I don't know exactly at which age), she kept her original first name Sharmila and got her adoptive parents' German last name.

[hermione-vader.livejournal.com]

It might depend on whether the child is old enough to respond to their original name and/or if the adoptive parents like it. My mother's friend just adopted two children (blood siblings) the boy is two and the girl is about nine months now. They kept the boy's original name, Ryan, because he already knows his name, but changed the girl's name from Renee is Isabelle, possibly because they prefer Isabelle and/or didn't want the alliteration, and she wouldn't have known her name was Renee when they got her at five or six months.

[iqsi.livejournal.com]

If it's a name from a different culture, I'm keeping it. My grandfather didn't fight all his life to keep his name non-Americanized so that I could turn around and Americanize some kid. They've been adopted, i.e. removed from all that is familiar and normal, already. At least let them keep their name, even if I verbally stumble and they have to teach me to say it. Everyone has a right to their roots.