‘I was once another person with a different name’: Adult adoptees’ experiences of first name changes
This article draws on findings from a study of names and adoption to discuss first name changes from the perspective of adult adoptees. We discuss how birth first names can be seen as a lost identity or ‘a life not lived’ by adoptees and how the separation between ‘birth’ and ‘adoptive’ first names...
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| Veröffentlicht in: | Adoption & fostering Jg. 49; H. 4; S. 404 - 420 |
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| Hauptverfasser: | , , , , |
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Sprache: | Englisch |
| Veröffentlicht: |
London, England
SAGE Publications
01.12.2025
British Association for Adoption & Fostering |
| Schlagworte: | |
| ISSN: | 0308-5759, 1740-469X |
| Online-Zugang: | Volltext |
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| Zusammenfassung: | This article draws on findings from a study of names and adoption to discuss first name changes from the perspective of adult adoptees. We discuss how birth first names can be seen as a lost identity or ‘a life not lived’ by adoptees and how the separation between ‘birth’ and ‘adoptive’ first names can lead to confusion, with some adoptees asking, ‘Who actually am I?’ We outline how adoptees attempt to bring into their lives their birth and adopted names and identities, and explore how a lack of knowledge surrounding the origins and meanings of birth first names can lead to frustration for adult adoptees, with these names representing a missing ‘puzzle piece’ in their life stories. Our article highlights the complex variability of adult adoptees’ feelings about their names and identities and how these can change over time. Our findings suggest that current adoption practices could emphasise the importance of capturing detailed information about the origins and meanings of adoptees’ birth names more, even when these names are not retained. This could help to reduce confusion and frustration and support identity processing for adoptees in their later lives.
Plain language summary
This article extends our knowledge and understanding of first name change and adoption by exploring the experiences of adult adoptees. Our findings show the emotional impacts of first name changes for adoptees, with many viewing birth names as symbols of lost identity or a life not lived. The experience of the separation of their birth and adoptive names was confusing and led to a fragmented sense of self, often prompting the question, ‘Who am I?’ This article also explores the complex experiences of adoptees who try to integrate their birth and adoptive names to reconcile their dual identities.
Findings are drawn from a two-year study funded by the Leverhulme Trust, which employed qualitative methods including creative writing and life story interviews with adult adoptees and adoptive parents. The study showed that adoptees who retained their birth first names appreciated this continuity. In contrast, those whose names were changed often felt it was a fundamental challenge to their identity, leading to feelings of frustration and loss. For some, discovering the origins and meanings of their birth names brought joy, while for others, it led to disappointment. Overall, this article underscores the importance of names in adoptees’ identity formation and suggests that better documentation and sharing of birth name information could improve the wellbeing and self-understanding of adoptees.
This article concludes by suggesting that current adoption practices should place greater emphasis on preserving detailed information about adoptees’ birth names. This includes understanding why these names were chosen, their origins and meanings. Making this information available to adoptees from a young age could help to mitigate the confusion and frustration experienced by many adult adoptees by providing what many perceive to be missing jigsaw pieces in their life stories. |
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| Bibliographie: | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 14 |
| ISSN: | 0308-5759 1740-469X |
| DOI: | 10.1177/03085759251381825 |