Från Kim till Sara och tillbaka till Kim: Namn, adoption och identitet

Choosing a name for a child is part of the process of becoming a parent and is done with care and after careful consideration. For those who become parents through adoption, the question arises of how to deal with the fact that the child already has one or several names. Should the names be kept or changed or added on to? This article focus on how both adult international adoptees and adoptive parents assign meanings to names and naming, and how they discuss naming in relation to identity. There are differences as well as similarities between the informants, both in terms of attitudes and experiences. A life-historical perspective reveals that what may appear to be important during one period in life seems less so in another, and vice versa. As a person's identity changes throughout life, her interpretation and understanding of her own name may also alter.