Names for an adopted daughter

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-10-2006
Names for an adopted daughter
33
Thu, 05-10-2007 - 12:28pm

Can I have thoughts and impressions on these names please? Our daughter is being adopted from China, if that weighs in on your view at all.

Arden
Estella
Maura
Rowan

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-29-2005
Fri, 05-11-2007 - 11:23am

I love name name Maura - it's so pretty!

I disagree with the others, however, I believe that your daughters name should be a name to reflect your family and suggest giving her a family name as a middle name rather than one to reflect Chinese heritage. Although I feel that the name should not be "odd" for her, ie: it might be odd if you named her Gretchen or something obviously of a different background, I really feel that she is YOUR daughter now and a member of YOUR family. She might appreciate having a family name.

Enough of that.... Love the name Maura!

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-28-2005
Fri, 05-11-2007 - 2:54pm
I'm not real fond of any of those, except Arden for a mn. I do like Rowan for a boy, though. What about Ella?
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-13-2006
Fri, 05-11-2007 - 8:54pm
I love Maura! I know 2 Mauras -- one of Irish descent, the other Puerto Rican -- so I think it works fine on anyone. It's simple enough that it doesn't scream "Irish" the way something like Siobhan does.
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-29-2005
Fri, 05-11-2007 - 10:17pm
I love Maura! I know 2 Mauras -- one of Irish descent, the other Puerto Rican -- so I think it works fine on anyone. It's simple enough that it doesn't scream "Irish" the way something like Siobhan does.



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That's because Maura is Spanish (and/or Italian, for that matter) as well. Different origins, but it is another great aspect of the name, especially for parents who might not want something immediately associated with a certain ethnicity. Kind of interesting that way. ;)


Very cool you know TWO, btw. It really is lovely, as evidenced by the cross-cultural appeal.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-12-2007
Sun, 05-13-2007 - 1:44am
My vote is for Rowan and congrats on your daughters adoption. My dh and I are trying to adopt as well! Good Luck!
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-14-2007
Sun, 05-13-2007 - 6:27pm
I agree that an adopted child should have a name which links them to the adoptive family--I'm definitely not suggesting that adoptive parents should keep their children's pre-adoption names. Still, it's my sense that in foreign adoptions where children are being adopted by a family not of that same culture, there can be a sense of loss involved in not having any link to that heritage. Of course, having a Chinese name may not be a huge link, but it can seem like one to a child. I've heard anecdotal evidence about this, but I also had a friend who was adopted from Vietnam and renamed Jenny by her adoptive family. She grew up perhaps literally the only Asian person in our small town. Eventually, she started going by her Vietnamese name; I don't really know the reasons why, but it seems clear that that heritage was still important to her, despite her love for her adoptive parents. Acknowledgement of the cultural background of your adoptive child is almost always a positive thing. Perhaps two middle names is the way to go, if you have a fn/mn combo that you really like, with the second middle name being related to her heritage in some way.
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iVillage Member
Registered: 11-19-2005
Sun, 05-13-2007 - 6:46pm
Estella!! beautiful, classic and timeless. great choice and good luck!
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-02-2005
Sun, 05-13-2007 - 9:13pm
I didn't mention in my last post in this thread, which name on your list I like best. Estella gets my vote, but how about using a Chinese name as well? There are cute Chinese names that also have an English sound, if you didn't want something too ethnic, that might clash with Estella (or whichever name you choose). Stella Mei could work, for example. Alternatively, you could find out the names of some flowers that are native to China...something along those lines, and honour her biological heritage that way.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
Mon, 05-14-2007 - 4:16am

If she's old enough to

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-20-2007
Mon, 05-14-2007 - 11:54am
Rowan has always been one of my favorite names.