Hi. There were no legal proceedings that we know as "adoption" until 1912. That said, there were any number of arrangements approved by courts in order that a child be cared for and raised by another adult who was not his/her parent. 

There were an equal if not greater number of arrangements made by families as to which no court ever knew, nor cared.  Especially was that true of illegitimate births or where the father has left a young mother with no means of support; the families and the churches took care of the infants. 
  
So it is that, while it is my impression that more young folks kept their birth name than not, I know of no statistics.  Nor, in light of the state of the law, can I see how such data now could be gathered by other than guesses. The exceptions would be the many destitute or parentless children mentioned in the parish vestry records. Problem there, of course, is that we have so few records remaining, and next to NONE for the Anglicans after the Revolution.   

If you learn more, please share with all of us. 
Paul

  
om: Marvin Martin 
  To: [log in to unmask] 
  Sent: Wednesday, October 19, 2005 12:11 PM
  Subject: Adoptions


  Question?
  In the1800 when a person was adopted did they take the adaptors last name
  or keep their birth name?  Also how do I enter the adoption in my
  family tree?
  Thank you for your time
  Marvin Martin

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