What’s in a name?

Many people don’t think twice about the name that was given to them by their parents. However, for children who have been displaced from their birth families(foster care, orphan children, etc.), it is often seen as a crucial part of their identity. For myself, I was devastated when I learned my adoptive parents had Americanized the spelling of my name that my birth mother had given me and made it my middle name (it changed from Anastasiya to Anastasia).

It might not seem like that big of a deal to change the spelling, but by changing the spelling, you are also slightly changing the pronunciation of the name. When these children become older, they often become curious about their birth origins. They will often start to look for clues about their birth family and ancestors. That name that was given to them by their birth family is seen as a vital clue and is often cherished by the person.

There is so much to a name. Different cultures have different beliefs (cultural, spiritual, religious, etc.) regarding the naming of a child. If someone wants to change their name (at least in America), it is often a lengthy, possibly expensive procedure (each state is slightly different from how they change to allow their citizens to change their names). Some states have it rather invasive in regards to privacy for the procedure to change the name (such as making the citizen publish a notice in the local paper for X weeks and if someone objects to the name change then that can majorly slow up the procedure).

I want to change my name back to its Russian origins. My middle name would be my birth mother’s middle name to honor her. However, I do not have the money right now to change my name. It is also a lengthy process, requiring a minimum of one month to change the name for the state I live in.