I was named after "Joe Rockhead" a lesser known character on the
Flintstones. It could have been worse my 3 and 4 year old sisters wanted to call me Barney!
Thanks Mom!
We have two boys both foster/adopted. Older one came to us at three and was adopted at five. His birth mother gave him the middle name of her favorite rock band. "RUSH."
Yes, we changed that.
We also changed his last name. He is
our child. Although we weren't thrilled with her choice for first name either, we kept it, but now wish we had changed that as well.
Our youngest came to us at 18 months and was finally adopted at three. We changed his first name but used his original first name as a first middle
(ie. John Allen Doe Smith)
Names are powerful and they have meaning.
I think changing them depends greatly upon the child's age.
However if a child is going to be adopted into my family he will have my last name.
My parents adopted three of my mothers youngest brothers kids, long story, and they have a hyphenated last name.
Names give a child a sense of belonging and history.
We are very open with the boys about their past and that they were adopted.
Our youngest son does not want to be called by his old name because it reminds him of his abusive past.
"My name is not ....." he would will tell anyone who called him by his old name.
So its up to you as parent I feel. Its a great privledge to name a child and these Birth parents lost that right when they abused/neglected
my children.