[DebsW]

Has anyone ever changed their name back to their birth name?

I had this topic come up with one of my birth relatives and I was wondering if anyone out there has done this.

If the oppertunity came up where you could or would change your last name back to your birth name would you do it?

Of course if this would be a positive thing for the adoptee.

Debsw

[Jackiejdajda]

Here is something from 1997

IDEA: Ask judge to change your name back - alt.adoption | Google Groups


Newsgroups: alt.adoption
From: whorn...@pipeline.com (Walt Horning)
Date: 1997/01/01
Subject: IDEA: Ask judge to change your name back
Reply to author | Forward | Print | Individual message | Show original | Report this message | Find messages by this author
I just thought of a grand idea. Maybe it will work, and maybe it will
not.


Many people go to court to ask to have their name changed. Usually the
reason has to do with a specific need to change a name, such as to
protect oneself from a stalker, or in most cases, because the name is
an embarrassing name (e.g. A guy with a girl's name or some name like
"Brainless".)


Anyway, I was thinking that maybe as a means of getting at one's
original name, perhaps some adopted persons, after reaching age 18,
assuming they will not anger their adopted parents (or they are
already passed away or if they were really abusive and they would not
care if they hurt their feelings then) could argue before a judge for
a name change. And it sounds not too unreasonable a request. In fact a
judge might even be sympathetic if an adopted person asked to have
their name changed to the one their original birth certificate.


First, they could argue they have a right to that name. That the
adopted parents only had the right to force them to use the adopted
name while they were a minor.


Second, just as some name might cause mental harm (such as an
embarrassing name) so too an adopted person might argue that it hurt
them mentally not to be using the name given them by their
birthmother.


Third, they could argue that while the parents gave them up at
adoption, there are grandparents, and other relatives that have the
family name that they should be entitlted to, even if it did not give
them rights of inheritance.


Now this might just be a means of last resort for an adopted person to
try if all else fails. Admittedly, it could also mean a lot of
paperwork to change (for employer, friends, spouse, tax returns, etc.)
But it may be one way to get one's orginal name and thus have a
starting point for finding a b-parent.




2. Rosie View profile
More options Jan 1 1997, 4:00 am

Newsgroups: alt.adoption
From: rfull...@ix.netcom.com (Rosie)
Date: 1997/01/01
Subject: Re: IDEA: Ask judge to change your name back
Reply to author | Forward | Print | Individual message | Show original | Report this message | Find messages by this author
On Wed, 01 Jan 1997 00:40:01 GMT, whorn...@pipeline.com (Walt Horning)
wrote:




You are not required to "beg" a judge for a name change. My brother
was born a Hays, later it was changed to Hall, still later it was
changed to Voss, then Fordyce, then back to Voss and after he found
his birth Father, our Grandmother asked that he come back into the
fold, and he changed his name in a simple court house filing, and $50.
Simple - Now, he's a Hays again!! Simple!!!!! He said the hardest
part was wiating the hour it took to proccess the paper work.

I just changed mine too. Same proccess, different state!!!

[Jackiejdajda]

More food for thought from 2003.. there were links in the original post and they do not work..

Changes of forename by parents/carers prior to adoption orlong-term fostercare. - alt.adoption | Google Groups

[color="Blue"]Newsgroups: alt.adoption
From: "Henry W. Moritz" <moc.ishcm@ztiromwh>
Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2003 21:57:53 GMT
Local: Wed, Jul 23 2003 5:57 pm
Subject: Re: Changes of forename by parents/carers prior to adoption orlong-term fostercare.


"robinjh" <nos...@robinjh.co.uk> wrote in message

news:BB44A93A.1C204%nospam@robinjh.co.uk...


> I would be interested to know what rules (if any) on this are in other
> jurisdictions. And opinions generally on changing the forenames of older
> children that are to be adopted or to remain in long-term foster care. If
> you download the PDF of the judgement that prompted the announcement
below,
> you may feel that there were arguments for doing so as well as against in
> the cases that were being judged.


> Robin


> ************************************************** ************
> From the United Kingdom Department of Health Adoption website

> Name changes of children looked after by local authorities, including
those
> placed for adoption - judgment by the President of the Family Division in
Re
> D,L and LA (Change of Forename)


> All staff working in Family Placement Services need to be aware of this
> judgment, which has implications for children placed under the Fostering
> Services Regulations 2002 and the Adoption Agency Regulations 1983. The
> judgment sets out that no carer for a child looked after by a local
> authority should unilaterally change the forename or surname of a child. A
> proposed change of name is a matter for careful consideration by the local
> authority, and the parents, who retain parental responsibility in all
> placements except after freeing for adoption, should be consulted and
> allowed to express their views.


> It should also be made clear to foster carers and prospective adoptive
> parents that the carers are not able to change the name of a looked after
> child in their care without the agreement of the local authority and any
> parents with parental responsibility.


> This case is reported in [2003] 1 FLR No. 3.


> Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss's judgment can be downloaded in PDF format
from


I'm in Iowa. Foster parents can not change a child's name. Since I adopted
out of foster care, I was bound by foster parenting rules, and I am not
familiar with practices in Iowa regarding propective adoptive situations.

On a personal level, I don't think foster parents should be able to change a
child's name and should address the child using the child's proper name or,
if permitted, the name used in the biological household. Regarding
prospective adoptive parents, I think that once a child has been placed in a
prospective adoptive parents custody that, on a practical level, the PAPs
should probably be free to *informally* address they child as they wish.
The example in the case that was cited demonstrates the practical situation
pretty clearly. That is, there doesn't appear to be any practical way to
prevent the practice without actually disrupting the adoption and removing
the child. And, if the intention really was to have the child adopted, then
it seems strange that there should be a lot of concern regarding the name of
a child that is going to have their name changed anyway.


That said, as an adoptive parent I personally didn't feel a lot of need to
substantially change the names of the kids I adopted, although we did make
some changes, including changing all of our kids' surnames to "Moritz". Our
oldest didn't have a middle name, so we retained her first name and set her
middle name to her former surname. No one used the first name of our middle
child -- he had been addressed by his middle name all of his life and his
bmom hated the name. So we dumped the first name, made his middle name his
first name, and changed his middle name to his former surname. Finally, for
our youngest, we simply left her first and middle names as they were, since
her middle name was also the middle name of her birth mother, which we
thought was an important link back to her biological past.

[ocracoke]

My biological brother did change his name from his adoptive name back to his biological name as an adult (biological siblings adopted into separate families). I am unclear as to why since he never had any contact with our biological parents. He told me that it would help him to really find himself. It didn't. And things only got worse for him - drugs, crime, etc. I did change my name as an adult but not back to the name my biological parents gave me but to a name that I wanted. I have a great relationship with my adoptive parents and feel it would be disrespectful to them to take my first name back.

JMO,
Samantha

[carolynppk]

I would never change my name back. First of all I was never given a first name. I would never change my last name either. While biologically I may have been that other last name, I was loved and raised by the name I was given. I do not see how changing your name would be a positive thing for an adoptee. I think it depends on the person and the circumstances surrounding their placement and how their adoption went. I love my bmom with all my heart, I adore my grandparents, but I would never change my name.

Carolyn

[DebsW]

Is there anyone who could tell me if they did change their name to a birth name as an adult? What was the afamily reaction?

[carolynppk]

I think there is a similar thread, but you may have to go back a ways. (Too bad we can't search by topic) I know that person did or was in the process of changing their name. Good luck.

Carolyn

[Sniffles]

I think I found what you were talking about Carolyn.

Name Change

[belleinblue1978]

I'd never be able to change my name, heck when I got married I didn't even change my last name, I am that attached to the name my mom and dad gave me.

[BrockBaby]

I would never change my name back either. I am known as the name my parents gave me, and I couldn't imagine being a different name. Besides that I like the name my parents gave me much better then the name my bmom gave me. I do have to say though, that I have always loved the name Brock for a boy, and when in High School, I worked with a boy named Brock and would always think his name was very cool.....not until years later did I learn that it was my original last name. So what I might do is name a son, if I ever have one, Brock as a "tribute" to my original last name. I am VERY attached to my last name given to me by my parents, and may even keep it when I get married someday...not sure...maybe I'll just keep it as a second middle name....names are a way of identifying oneself. I think that for some adoptees they may feel that if they choose to take back their original names that they may be trying to identify more with their biofam. Personally, I identify with my family and don't have that need to try to identify with my bfamily through a name....

[epenn922]

I thought very seriously about changing my name back to my birth name. I didn't because I was sure that it would break my adad's heart... And good thing I didn't. I found out years later that my birth last name was my birthmother's adoptive father's name! She didn't even have her birth last name either. Surely, a tangled web.

Elaine

[DebsW]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I was thinking about explaining more about why I asked the question. My chilhood was filled with a lot of emotional and some physical abuse. I never fit into the family, even extended family was really difficult for me to blend into. I was always identified as the "adopted" child etc.

I may be in a situation where I will have the oppertunity to change my last name, and since I have a solid bond with all of my bfamily, mom and dad, aunt, cousins, sister and brother etc I thought maybe I would change my last name only.

Just not sure if I will do that or not.

[BrockBaby]

Go for it if it is what makes you feel right! Everyone has a right to do what is best for them.....but I think it's good that you "talk it out"...that is how I usually deal with all my "issues" in life!

[DebsW]

Thanks, I have spent lots of money on all the therapy. I have delt with so many issues that I think I just may feel free enough to do it.

[BrockBaby]

Freedom is such a wonderful place!!!!!