"D. Stussy" wrote: >>[...] taken in as a foster child at 4 years old >> [...] legally changed to theirs at age 18 > >Name legally changed but no adoption? >That seems inconsistent, especially >for the 20th century. Not for someone born in the second half of the 20C in the UK. There are cases of long-term fostering where the child is not available for adoption - at 18 a child is an adult; an adult can change surname.