Simple adoption: effect on surname
Verified 01 April 2022 - Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister), Ministry of Justice
Additional cases ?
Are you able to choose the surname of the child or adult you adopt by simple adoption? We present you the rules to know according to your situation: couple, person alone or if you adopt the child of the person you live with as a couple.
Adoption by couple
If the adopted person is 13 years or less
The couple (spouse, couple or concubine) can choose family name that the child will bear:
- Name of adopted person + name of one of the adopters.
The order of names is free within the limit of a family name for each. - Replacing the adopted name with the name of one of the adopters.
- Replacement of the adopted name by the 2 names attached to the adopters.
The order of names is free within the limit of a family name for each.
Example :
Fabien CARON and Leïla LOPEZ adopt Nathan VERON.
Nathan's surname can be: CARON VERON or LOPEZ VERON or VERON CARON or VERON LOPEZ or CARON or LOPEZ or CARON LOPEZ or LOPEZ CARON
If the adopted person is more than 13 years old
The couple (spouse, couple or concubine) can choose family name that the child will bear:
- Name of adopted person + name of one of the adopters.
The order of names is free within the limit of a family name for each. - Replacing the adopted name with the name of one of the adopters.
- Replacement of the adopted name by the 2 names attached to the adopters.
The order of names is free within the limit of a family name for each.
The agreement of the mandatory.
Example :
Fabien CARON and Leïla LOPEZ adopt Nathan VERON.
Subject to Nathan's agreement, his surname may be: CARON VERON or LOPEZ VERON or VERON CARON or VERON LOPEZ or CARON or LOPEZ or CARON LOPEZ or LOPEZ CARON
Please note
the name resulting from the addition of a name to that of the adopted is an indivisible compound name. It is therefore transmitted in full to descendants.
In case of disagreement or in case of no choice, court responsible for the adoption procedure sets the name of the adopted.
Among the names of the adopters, 1to in alphabetical order is placed behind the adopted name.
If the adopted has a double name, only 1re part is preserved.
Example :
Theophilus GAUTIER DUMAS and Leïla MARTIN ALAIN adopt Kevin MONCEAU DUPONT.
Kevin's last name is MONCEAU ALAIN.
If the adopted person is 13 years or less
The name is chosen when request for simple adoption on the form cerfa 15740.
However, you can also do the process after adoption.
Contact transplant of the court which handled the adoption procedure.
Who shall I contact
The family name mentioned outside the birth certificate adopted.
If the adopted person is over 13 years
The choice of name with the agreement ofshall be carried out within the request for simple adoption on the form cerfa 15740.
However, you can also do the process after adoption.
Contact transplant of the court which handled the adoption procedure.
Who shall I contact
The family name is mentioned in the margin of the adopted birth certificate.
Adoption by individual
Step-by-step approach
If the adopted person is 13 years or less
The adopter may choose the family name that the child will bear:
- Name of adopted person + name of adopted person.
The order of names is free within the limit of a family name for each. - Replacing the name of the adoptee with the name of the adopter.
Example :
Fabien CARON adopts Nathan VERON.
Nathan's surname can be: CARON VERON or VERON CARON or CARON.
Example :
Theophilus GAUTIER DUMAS adopts Kevin MONCEAU DUPONT
The family name of Kévin can be:
MONCEAU GAUTIER or GAUTIER MONCEAU or MONCEAU DUMAS or DUMAS MONCEAU or DUPONT DUMAS or DUMAS DUPONT or DUPONT GAUTIER or GAUTIER DUPONT or GAUTIER DUMAS.
If the adopted person is over 13 years
The adopter may choose the family name that the child will bear:
- Name of adopted person + name of adopted person.
The order of names is free within the limit of a family name for each. - Replacing the name of the adoptee with the name of the adopter.
The agreement of the mandatory.
Example :
Fabien CARON adopts Nathan VERON.
Subject to Nathan's agreement, his surname may be:
CARON VERON or VERON CARON or CARON.
Example :
Theophilus GAUTIER DUMAS adopts Kevin MONCEAU DUPONT
Subject to the agreement of Kevin, his surname may be:
MONCEAU GAUTIER or GAUTIER MONCEAU or MONCEAU DUMAS or DUMAS MONCEAU or DUPONT DUMAS or DUMAS DUPONT or DUPONT GAUTIER or GAUTIER DUPONT or GAUTIER DUMAS..
Please note
the name resulting from the addition of a name to that of the adopted is an indivisible compound name. It is therefore transmitted in full to descendants.
If there is no choice, court responsible for the adoption procedure sets the name of the adopted.
The name of the adopter is placed behind the name of the adopted.
In case of double name, the 1re part of the name of the adopter is added behind the 1re part of the adopted name.
Example :
Theophilus GAUTIER DUMAS adopts Kevin MONCEAU DUPONT
Kevin's last name is MONCEAU GAUTIER.
If the adopted person is 13 years or less
The name is chosen when request for simple adoption on the form cerfa 15737.
However, you can also do the process after adoption.
Contact transplant of the court which handled the adoption procedure.
Who shall I contact
The family name mentioned outside the birth certificate adopted.
If the adopted person is more than 13 years old
The choice of name with the agreement ofshall be carried out within the request for simple adoption on the form cerfa 15739.
However, you can also do the process after adoption.
Contact transplant of the court which handled the adoption procedure.
Who shall I contact
The family name mentioned outside the birth certificate adopted.
Adoption of child of Civil partnership, partner or partner
Step-by-step approach
The child is 13 or younger
The adopter may choose the family name that the child will bear:
- Name of adopted person + name of adopted person
The order of names is free within the limit of a family name for each. - Replacing the name of the adoptee with the name of the adopter.
- Retention of adopted original name
Example :
Fabien CARON adopts his wife's child, Nathan VERON.
Nathan's surname can be: CARON VERON or VERON CARON or VERON
The child is over 13
The adopter may choose the family name that the child will bear:
- Name of adopted person + name of adopted person
The order of names is free within the limit of a family name for each. - Replacing the name of the adoptee with the name of the adopter.
- Retention of adopted original name
The agreement of the mandatory.
Example :
Fabien CARON adopts his wife's child, Nathan VERON.
Subject to Nathan's agreement, his surname may be: CARON VERON or VERON CARON or VERON
Please note
the name resulting from the addition of a name to that of the adopted is an indivisible compound name. It is therefore transmitted in full to descendants.
If there is no choice, court responsible for the adoption procedure sets the name of the adopted.
The name of the adopter is placed behind the name of the adopted.
In case of double name, the 1re part of the name of the adopter is added behind the 1re part of the adopted name.
Example :
Theophilus GAUTIER DUMAS adopts Kevin MONCEAU DUPONT
Kevin's last name is MONCEAU GAUTIER.
If the adopted person is 13 years or less
The name is chosen when request for simple adoption on the form cerfa 15737.
However, you can also do the process after adoption.
Contact transplant of the court which handled the adoption procedure.
Who shall I contact
The family name mentioned outside the birth certificate adopted.
If the adopted person is more than 13 years old
The choice of name, with the agreement of the adopted, is made within the framework of request for simple adoption on the form cerfa 15739.
However, you can also do the process after adoption.
Contact transplant of the court which handled the adoption procedure.
Who shall I contact
The family name mentioned outside the birth certificate adopted.
- Civil Code: Articles 363 to 370-2Transmission of name (Article 363)
- Order of 1 June 2006 fixing the model family register
- Circular of 23 July 2014 on civil status (PDF - 249.4 KB)
- Circular of May 29, 2013 introducing the law opening marriage to same-sex couples (PDF - 624.5 KB)
- Circular of 28 October 2011 on various civil registration documents relating to birth and filiation (PDF - 1.0 MB)
- Circular of 25 October 2011 on the modification of the arrangements for the indication of double names (PDF - 273.2 KB)
FAQ
- AdoptionService-Public.fr