Need boy and girl names for adoptive children

General Name Discussion
1

We are foster parents, and we have been advised by our children’s social worker to change their names at adoption for various convincing reasons. We have had the children for a year, so I am having a really hard time renaming children who we know so well and have been calling by different names for so long.

Our first adoption is in [name]June[/name], and I already had to turn in the paperwork giving his new name. We chose [name]Zade[/name] [name]Elias[/name] even though I felt rushed into it. Our older children are named Brishen [name]Riley[/name] and [name]Basia[/name] [name]Felice[/name] (said like [name]Asia[/name] with a B).

We will likely finalize two additional adoptions in [name]August[/name], for a 1-year-old boy and a 3-year-old girl, so I still need two more first and middle names.

The little guy is very small, spunky and determined. He is also gorgeous with dark skin, light curly hair, and eyes that get comments everywhere we go. I liked the name [name]Solon[/name], but it just doesn’t fit. I love the name [name]Ezra[/name], but my husband reminded me that the Biblical [name]Ezra[/name] wanted the foreign wives and children exiled which seems to go against our family’s adopting children from various background vibe. The name [name]Ezra[/name] really seems to fit him otherwise. I love the name [name]Caius[/name], but it has been used by extended family. [name]Caspian[/name] is a front runner right now but just doesn’t seem quite right. I have a hard time using names if I know someone with that name, so some names have been crossed out for that reason.

The 3-year-old is pretty and very feminine but likes to play hard and get dirty with the rest of them. She is also very strong, self-sufficient, and determined, yet the most vulnerable child I have. I want something really pretty for her name, unique, but not made-up sounding. I really have absolutely no clue for her name. Maybe something from nature??

[name]Both[/name] children are African American, so I would like to stay away from names that are too “white,” such as those which mean, “from [name]Wales[/name]” or other such things. I have ruled out [name]Declan[/name] and maybe [name]Cambria[/name] for that reason, even though I like both names.

Thank you so much for any help you can give!!!

2

Oh, and I know that my kids’ names don’t exactly all fit together, but I named my son 15 years ago and my tastes are a little different these days, I suppose.

3

Are you wanting to keep the names a similar sound to their original names so that the children won’t be too confused or are you hoping for something that is very different from their original names? or does it not matter as long as the names suit your children? :slight_smile:

For your son:
[name]Sebastian[/name]
[name]Bastian[/name]
[name]Emory[/name]
[name]Emrys[/name]
[name]Grey[/name]
[name]Briar[/name]
[name]Eli[/name]
[name]Sawyer[/name]
[name]Lincoln[/name] - nn [name]Linc[/name]
[name]Alaric[/name]
[name]Elliot[/name]
[name]Emmett[/name]
[name]Abbott[/name]
[name]Leo[/name]
[name]Lennon[/name]
[name]Lennox[/name]
[name]Soren[/name]
[name]Quentin[/name]
[name]Bennett[/name]
[name]Cian[/name]
[name]Arthur[/name]
[name]Simon[/name]
[name]Seth[/name]
[name]Asher[/name]
[name]Declan[/name]
[name]Dashiell[/name] - nn [name]Dash[/name]
[name]Matthias[/name]
[name]Orion[/name]
[name]Stellan[/name]
[name]Caspian[/name] (I love this name!)
[name]August[/name]
[name]Jack[/name]

for your daughter:
[name]Annora[/name]
[name]Isobel[/name]
[name]Coralie[/name]
[name]Marielle[/name]
[name]Lara[/name]
[name]Eloise[/name]
[name]Amelie[/name]
[name]Hallie[/name]
[name]Hazel[/name]
[name]Thalia[/name]
[name]Ramona[/name]
[name]Austen[/name]
[name]Rosalie[/name]
[name]Noa[/name]
[name]Alice[/name]
[name]Stella[/name]
[name]Sophie[/name]
[name]Scarlett[/name]
[name]Lily[/name]
[name]Lucy[/name]
[name]Lyra[/name]
[name]Aurora[/name]
[name]Rose[/name]

[name]Hope[/name] this helps!

4

[name]Asa[/name] for the sweet boy and [name]Everley[/name] for the little lady!

5

Girl
[name]Maya[/name]
[name]Alyssa[/name]
[name]Lauren[/name]
[name]Natalie[/name]
[name]Kendra[/name]
[name]Adriana[/name]
[name]Nadia[/name]
[name]Carmen[/name]
[name]Layla[/name]
[name]Naomi[/name]
[name]Sash[/name]
[name]Thalia[/name]
[name]Anais[/name]
[name]Natasha[/name]
[name]Vanessa[/name]
[name]Felicia[/name]
[name]Alicia[/name]
[name]Daphne[/name]
[name]Leah[/name]
[name]Mariah[/name]
[name]Aaliyah[/name]
[name]Bianca[/name]
[name]Katrina[/name]
[name]Zoe[/name]
[name]Chloe[/name]
[name]Kyla[/name]
[name]Jasmine[/name]
[name]Anya[/name]
[name]Makayla[/name]
[name]Sabrina[/name]
[name]Taylor[/name]
[name]Valerie[/name]
[name]Keira[/name]

Boys
[name]Xavier[/name]
[name]Joaquin[/name]
[name]Ephraim[/name]
[name]Isaiah[/name]
[name]Jeremiah[/name]
[name]Solomon[/name]
[name]Issac[/name]
[name]Cameron[/name]
[name]Jacob[/name]
[name]Kai[/name]
[name]Samuel[/name]
[name]Elijah[/name]
[name]Micah[/name]
[name]Caleb[/name]
[name]Tyler[/name]
[name]Christian[/name]
Malachai
[name]Joshua[/name]
[name]Vincent[/name]
[name]Nathaniel[/name]
[name]Tobias[/name]
[name]Rufus[/name]
[name]Jonas[/name]
[name]Walter[/name]
[name]Devin[/name]
[name]Miles[/name]
[name]Jordan[/name]
[name]Anthony[/name]

6

Boy: [name]Ezekiel[/name] or [name]Ephraim[/name] (going with the [name]Ezra[/name] vibe), [name]Rafael[/name], [name]Tobias[/name], [name]Dominic[/name], [name]Luca[/name]
Girl: [name]Zola[/name], [name]Thalia[/name], [name]Cassia[/name], [name]Aida[/name], Briseis

Keep us posted! You definitely have a unique challenge.

7

Thanks for all the great suggestions! So far our favorites from your lists are:

Boy: [name]Soren[/name], [name]Caspian[/name], [name]Felix[/name], [name]Asa[/name]—I like [name]Tobias[/name] as a mn for any of those
Girl: [name]Anya[/name], [name]Cassia[/name]

8

Why is [name]Declan[/name] off the table? [name]Just[/name] curious. It doesn’t mean “from [name]Wales[/name]” or anything like that.

9

I searched facebook to see if I could find anyone with that name who was not white and did not. It’s not a science but seems too Irish for a beautiful brown baby, I guess. I say this as a white mom who is probably more concerned about such things than I would be if I didn’t feel the pressure of not making a glaring mistake of some sort.

10

I really feel that the only appropriate time to change a child’s name is if their safety is directly endangered by continuing to use their original names. If that is the case, I suggest choosing names as close to their real names as possible.

11

[name]Dante[/name] came to mind immediately for the boy, though I do really like all the names you are considering, especially [name]Felix[/name].

As a [name]Cassie[/name], I’m a tad bias on [name]Cassia[/name], but [name]Anya[/name] is lovely, too. [name]Carys[/name] comes to mind, too.

12

As I said, the reasons are very important and convincing and I am not free to give more details. We had no intentions of changing anyone’s name but feel it is essential now. Keeping the name too close would not be beneficial in this case. We love these children. We actually love the names they have right now. I have long read all the debate on changing vs. not changing names at adoption, and I have sided with those who feel their original names are a gift from and an important link with their birth families. We have not made this decision lightly at all, I assure you. Those in our lives who already know these kids by their names will think that changing their names is just something we wanted to do. They will not know the difficult reasons, and I dread the day when I have to tell the children themselves why the decision was made in the most respectful way possible to everyone involved. This is a difficult part of their life stories, but we truly are doing the best we can do to make the right choices. I have copies of their original birth certificates, and their original names will not be kept from them at any time.

13

I’m really sorry they are going through this - the foster system can be so heartbreaking, these children are lucky to have loving people like you and your family to love and care for them!

14

Congratulations on the upcoming adoption! [name]How[/name] lovely for all of you!

I don’t know if any of these will fit, but…

[name]Lucian[/name]- light which is different than white. I am beginning to fall in love with this name. I think we have similar taste in boys’ names.
[name]Quincy[/name]
[name]Solomon[/name]
[name]Elijah[/name]

and

[name]Skye[/name]
[name]Iris[/name]
[name]Eden[/name]
[name]Aria[/name]

Good luck, and congrats again.

15

I believe that you have the best interests of your children at heart, and it sounds like you have very good reasons for changing their names. I also appreciate the fact that you want to give them names that are consistent with their cultural history. Mazel tov on your adoption!

16

Brishen, [name]Basia[/name], [name]Zade[/name] and…?

I think [name]Soren[/name] [name]Tobias[/name] or [name]Ephraim[/name] [name]Cole[/name] would be nice for little boy.

As cute as [name]Cassia[/name] is, I don’t know about pairing it with big sister [name]Basia[/name]. [name]Carys[/name] [name]Noemi[/name] or Semona [name]Irie[/name] would be my choice for your little miss.

Brishen, [name]Basia[/name], [name]Zade[/name], [name]Carys[/name], and [name]Soren[/name].

Brishen, [name]Basia[/name], [name]Zade[/name], Semona, and [name]Ephraim[/name].

17

What an amazing occasion for your family. Congratulations!!!
With Brishen, [name]Basia[/name] and [name]Zade[/name] I like: [name]Calla[/name] and [name]Orin[/name].

Alternatives to [name]Ezra[/name] that have a similar feel to me: [name]Yuma[/name], [name]Orin[/name], and [name]Aviv[/name].
Other suggestions with girls: [name]Jovie[/name], [name]Lyric[/name], [name]Twilla[/name] and [name]Posey[/name].

[name]Hope[/name] this helps and wish you all the very best!!!

18

What a rare challenge!

I too love [name]Ezra[/name], and I think [name]Asa[/name] is a very good replacement for it. I love [name]Caspian[/name] too.

As for the girl, [name]Leah[/name] comes to mind. I know a girl names [name]Leah[/name] who sounds a bit like her. [name]Leah[/name]'s middle name is [name]Alessandra[/name] which might be too European in orgin for you. Perhaps [name]Alexandra[/name], [name]Alexandria[/name] or [name]Alexia[/name]. [name]Alessa[/name] is another form. Or even [name]Alexis[/name].

Other names I really like:
[name]Leo[/name] (He sounds like such a [name]Leo[/name], I know a little boy at the daycare who comes to mind when I read his description)
[name]Roxana[/name] nn [name]Roxy[/name]
[name]Nadia[/name]
[name]Lila[/name]
[name]Cameron[/name] for the boy (though is means crooked nose)
[name]Elena[/name]/[name]Elaina[/name]
[name]Gisele[/name]
[name]Meghan[/name]

It’s harder for me to pick names for older children especially when I don’t know them. :stuck_out_tongue:

19

It’s too bad [name]Ezra[/name] is ruined for you, I do think Ezekial would be a great alternative. [name]Zeke[/name] and [name]Zade[/name] are really cute together. I also like [name]Ephraim[/name] or other biblical names for your boy such as [name]Micah[/name],[name]Silas[/name] or [name]Nehemiah[/name].
[name]Julian[/name]
[name]Kai[/name]
[name]Langston[/name]
[name]Elias[/name]
[name]Thaddeus[/name]
[name]Quincy[/name]
[name]Roman[/name]
[name]Miles[/name]
[name]Lorenzo[/name]
[name]Merrick[/name]
[name]Kenton[/name]
[name]Corbin[/name]
[name]Theodore[/name]
[name]Tate[/name]
[name]Kendrick[/name]
[name]Quinton[/name]
[name]Kingston[/name]
[name]Kai[/name]
girls-
[name]Maya[/name]
[name]Serena[/name]
[name]Faith[/name]
[name]Jordana[/name]
[name]Lena[/name]
[name]Cecily[/name]
[name]Thea[/name]
[name]Kaia[/name]
[name]Nina[/name]
[name]Danica[/name]
[name]Keturah[/name]
[name]Tabitha[/name]
[name]Davina[/name]
[name]Kira[/name]
[name]Tansy[/name]
[name]Carina[/name]
[name]Samara[/name]
[name]Lark[/name]
[name]Eden[/name]
Lilia
Kayla
Skye
[name]Oriana[/name]
Priya
Kiri
Zara
Aviva
Rhiann
Amara
Daphne
Victoria-Tori
Camila
Zakiya