Forum Baby Names

Name dilemma adopted baby boy

17 replies

HeleenGuest ·
Hi everyone,

We’re going to adopt a beautiful little boy from America soon. Now my husband and I are wondering about his name. Should we keep the American name, the one he got from his birth parents, as his first name, or do we give him a new first name and make his American name his second name?

His name is currently H.arrison (no dot, of course) and he’s seven months old.
We already have two biological children, named R.oos and T.homas.

The reason we’re hesitating: H.arrison is quite an American-sounding name and doesn’t really match R.oos and T.homas. We’d like them to sound like siblings. On the other hand, we don’t want to take away his name; it’s basically the only thing he has from his birthplace.

What would you do in this situation?

Thanks!
Heleen

Replies

  1. Jootje #2

    I would keep his own name at all times. That's indeed the only thing he'll have left of his parents. He already got a name, after all. I completely understand your doubt, but I think he'll really appreciate this choice later on. Of course, it's your choice. Wishing you all the strength in making the decision.

  2. Jootje #3

    And of course, congratulations!

  3. Rose Guest #4

    That's lovely! I'd also stick with H.arrison.

  4. Maria #5

    I don't think it sounds bad at all as a combination of three! It is a bit of an American name, but not very unfamiliar either. And indeed, it's the only thing he has from his parents. If you give him a more Dutch second name, he can always use that later on if he wants to. Good luck in the coming time! Sounds exciting to me.

  5. Gerben Guest #6

    I’d put his American first name first but call him by a Dutch second name. So a nickname as a second name.

    By the way, I think it’s a weird name, because it’s a last name being used as a first name, since Harrison = Harry’s/Harold’s son

  6. Anonymous Guest #7

    First of all, heartfelt congratulations on your little boy
    I myself have 2 adopted children who are now adults.
    We gave them another name because the names were almost impossible to pronounce here.
    You could use his name as a second name.

  7. Anonymous Guest #8

    It seems to me that adopted children often get a different name. But these are usually Asian kids or kids with an unpronounceable name. It would indeed make sense to keep the original name as a second name.
    My son is 7 months old and rarely listens/responds when I say his name, so I don't think it's such a big issue.

  8. B. Guest #9

    I’d definitely give him a different, Dutch nickname, but keep the original name as one of his first names.

  9. Maria1993 #10

    I’d pick a name that sounds like Harrison..
    E.g. His name is Harrison, but we call him Aron.
    He can choose later what he wants to go by. Harrison will be on official documents, and Aron will be his name at school, for example.

  10. Heleen started this #11

    Thanks for all the great responses; we really appreciate it. We've decided to give him a second name that sounds like Harrison at least. We're not sure yet if we'll use that name as a nickname, so we're still thinking about it.

    Do you have any other ideas for names that sound like or come from Harrison?
    The list now includes (derived from Harrison):
    Aron Aris Harm

  11. Vera #12

    It's great that you're thinking about it so consciously. In the end, every choice will come from your heart for him.
    Keeping his name and adding a second Dutch name, which you can optionally use as a nickname, sounds really nice.
    Harry (pronounced in the American way) could be an option as a nickname. I also think Aris is a nice name as a variant.
    Good luck!

  12. B. Guest #13

    Harry, but pronounced in a Dutch way.
    But why would you make a derivative of Harrison? Why not just Luuk Harrison or Daan Harrison or Thijs Harrison?

  13. wereldwondertje #14

    First of all, congratulations on your little boy
    We picked up our son from America almost 1.5 years ago. We chose his first name in consultation with his birth mother, and she chose the 2nd and 3rd names. When are you planning to travel and where to? It's so special, that journey to him. Are you taking your other children along?
    If you have any questions or want tips... feel free to ask

  14. wereldwondertje #15

    Ps, can also do it via private message

  15. Heleen started this #16

    Thanks for all the replies. We've discussed it together and have made a decision. We've also heard that the second name of our soon-to-be-born son is J.oe, which his mom came up with. For now, we're just going with H.arrison. We're getting more and more used to it, and it'll be nice for him later on. If he doesn't like it later, he can always go by Joe, which is a bit more common in the Netherlands. We'll also add the name O.tis, so he'll have a name from us too.

    We're leaving soon with our kids, who are still in elementary school age, to Pennsylvania. We're really looking forward to it. Love.

  16. Vera #17

    Glad you both feel good about it now. Sometimes you just need to get used to it, and then it's totally fine. Wishing you lots of luck, enjoy it

  17. Maria #18

    Nice that you came back to it. Wishing you lots of success in the coming time, it'll undoubtedly be special!

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