Names for adopted children

GraceUponGrace09

DH and I are in the final stages of adopted a boy and girl sibling set through foster care that we've had for the past two years. We are planning to rename them and are having a hard time deciding.
We had a biological baby this spring and named him Adrian Clay. I want the names to go together without being to matchy-matchy.
We are considering:
Ian Patrick (His name is Patrick now.)
Anya Marie (Her middle name now.)
I'm really undecided about Anya. I think I like it but don't personally now anyone named that.
What think ye???

Laura_Elaine

I really like them!

My son's name is Ethan, and some people call him Ian, if they can't understand him/us when he's introduced... so we have similar styles there.

I love the Disney movie Anastasia (and I love that name, but that's another story...) and in that movie, the princess Anastasia loses her memory and they call her Anya. I don't know how popular that movie is, or if that will bother you having that reference, but I don't think it would bother me...

If the kids are old enough to help you decide, and they like the names, I say go for it!

Congrats and good luck!

Empireceo

Yes, the names are fine but I'm confused as to why you want to change names you've presumably been using for 2 years.

WashingtonQueen

I ditto everyone else on why you would change the names at this point.

Jmgresham22

WashingtonQueen said:

I ditto everyone else on why you would change the names at this point.

This!!

Dr.Loretta

I like them both. Nice choices!

I'm an adoptive mom, so hopefully I can shed some light on why the name change. I haven't done foster/adopt, but I have several friends who have.

Sometimes the name change is to make the child less searchable/findable by unstable birth family members. Especially if it's an uncommon name. Sometimes it's to finalize the transition from being a foster family to a forever family. Some kids move their FN to a MN, pick a new MN, or choose/get a new name altogether to indicate a new phase in their lives. A good friend of mine has a son who came to them through foster care. He kept his FN but had his MN changed to that of my friend's grandfather. He was 5.

Nia Vardalos, who starred in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, adopted a little girl through foster care. Once the adoption was finalized they picked a new name for her. She was 3 when she came to them, close to 4 when they renamed her. It's pretty common.

HTH

GraceUponGrace09

Thanks for the advise, everyone! They are 3 and 4. It may be a little confusing to them at first but I don't think it will take them long. We have quite a few friends who have adopted children older and younger and have had no problems with giving them new names. We've talked to the children about it and they are excited about it and like Ian and Anya, however they are young enough they don't really know.
I think naming a child is a very special and personal privilege we have as parents and as we take on these children as our own we would like to give them our own names...even though we really don't mind their given names.

Scarlett&Gatsby

Add me to Team Confused. If they've been in your home for two years, at the very least, they're two years old, and they know their names. I would think it'd be unnecessarily jarring to change their names at this point, especially since the only reason seems to be making their names "go" with your biological child's. I'm sorry if I've understood you wrong and there's more to it than that; I'm just going to need some clarification before changing my opinion about giving them new names.

Jmgresham22

3&4 isn't too bad then. Older than that and it would be too much. But at that age it seems ok, if that's what your family desires

Scarlett&Gatsby

DebRumble said:

Thanks for the advise, everyone! They are 3 and 4. It may be a little confusing to them at first but I don't think it will take them long. We have quite a few friends who have adopted children older and younger and have had no problems with giving them new names. We've talked to the children about it and they are excited about it and like Ian and Anya, however they are young enough they don't really know. I think naming a child is a very special and personal privilege we have as parents and as we take on these children as our own we would like to give them our own names...even though we really don't mind their given names.

Sorry, I posted before I saw your response. It sounds like you guys have a handle on this and it's great that the kids are excited. I really like both names (forgot to mention that earlier).

laurakaz13

I love the names you've chosen!  Beautiful!  Congratulations! 

nittanyllama

I like the names and I'm also glad you're keeping part of their original names. 

My mom adopted my sister through the foster care system. She came to us when she was 5 and we adopted her when she was 8. She obviously had more input to give at that point and she only wanted to change her middle name (and she picked a name from her "new" family). I say as long as the kids really seem ok with it then its fine. GL to you!

dkbop1818

My niece and nephew were adopted at the age of 5 and  and my sister changed their name at the time of the adoption.  They both got to help pick the name, and she used their old names as a part of their new name.  It took a couple months for us to get used to calling them their new names, but now I couldn't imagine them with any other name.  For my sister and her children, it was their way of letting go of the past and moving on with their forever family.