My Reunion genealogy program for the Mac takes care of that. You can place the names of the adopted parents and then record the children with adopted marked and natural children will be listed with the same parents also with no adopted marked after them. If you ever find the parents you could make a seperate family file that links to the adoptive parent family file. I truthfully would hate to do genealogical research anymore without a good genealogical program to enter the families into. Jean Leeper grannyroots@iowatelecom.net "Watch What You Say or Do, You Might Sell Your Parrot To The Town Gossip and If You Don't Have A Parrot Someone Above May Be Watching You" http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~jeanlee Cedar Creek Cemetery http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~jeanlee/cedarcreekcemetery.htm Salem Friends Cemetery http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ialqm/SalemSouthCemetery.html Lewelling Quaker Museum http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ialqm/index.htm On Mar 12, 2012, at 1:31 PM, Lady Bonita - USA wrote: > I have a question ... I have several individuals that have been adopted but > the biological parents are known. As far as DNA, I know the biological > parents should be primary for DNA line, but what about the adoptive parents? > This pops up its head with Orphan Train children > > > > As far as names, I use the primary name as the name at the time of birth. > Then if I know the adoption date, I record the adopted name with that date. > > > > > Sample: > > Name: Jane > > Biological surname: Doe > > Adoptive surname: Smith > > Married surname: Jones > > > > Primary name: Jane Doe > > Adopted name: Jane Smith or Jane Doe Smith ?? > > Married name: Mrs. Jane (Doe-Smith) Jones ?? > > > > Another issue is more current . children born without parents being married. > I take the child's name on the birth certificate as primary. Normally, it > is the mother's maiden [or current] name but DNA wise, the father's surname > should be noted. > > > > What I have been doing is use the child's birth name and if the father is > known, I add him as the father. If the census shows the child listed with > the father's surname, then I add an alternative name showing the child with > both surnames . the mother's in the middle. Since I know the name is not > 'legal' my question is how to record both surnames of the parents when > parents are not married? > > > Bonita > \\\|/// > \\ ~ ~ // > ( @ @ ) > ----oOOo-(_)-oOOo---- Just Looking for clues ... > > > > Lady Bonita > Nevada, USA > > > > High Desert Embroidery > <http://www.highdesertemb.com> http://www.highdesertemb.com > <mailto:highdesertembroidery@gmail.com> highdesertembroidery@gmail.com > > > > Wells Surname DNA Study Merge > <http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~hillmer/DNA/index.htm> > http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~hillmer/DNA/index.htm > > > > Hillmer Surname Database > <http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~hillmer/index.htm> > http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~hillmer/index.htm > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to WELLS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message Jean Leeper grannyroots@iowatelecom.net "Watch What You Say or Do, You Might Sell Your Parrot To The Town Gossip and If You Don't Have A Parrot Someone Above May Be Watching You" http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~jeanlee Cedar Creek Cemetery http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~jeanlee/cedarcreekcemetery.htm Salem Friends Cemetery http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ialqm/SalemSouthCemetery.html Lewelling Quaker Museum http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ialqm/index.htm