← Back to search

HRS §578-13

Changing an adopted child's or adult's name

This section lets a court change the first and last name of a person who is being adopted. The new name can be the one the adoptive parents choose, or a name that is best for the person. This applies to both children and adults being adopted.

children

The statute, as written — Change of name

The court may fix or change the given name and the family name of an adoptive minor child to the name stipulated by the adoptive parents or that name which is in the best interest of the child. The court may fix or change the given name and family name of an adoptive individual who is an adult at the time of the filing of the petition for adoption to the name stipulated by the adoptive parents or that name which is in the best interest of the adult. [RL 1945, pt of §12276; am L 1945, c 40, pt of §1; am L 1953, c 115, pt of §1; RL 1955, §331-13; HRS §578-13; am L 1973, c 211, §3(k); am L 1976, c 194, §1(7); am L 1987, c 278, §2]
Read the official text at capitol.hawaii.gov ↗as published Jan 6, 2026our copy taken Aug 20, 2026

LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.