RUSLAN 1 LESSON 3 NAMES
It is sometimes asked how the отчество (patronymic) name is chosen for the child of a single mother, or for an orphan.

A single mother decides the patronymic for her child. She may use the father's name if she wants to. Frequently she will choose the patronymic deriving from her own father's name, ie the same patronymic as her own.
For an orphan the choice may be more random and is made by the person or organisation with legal responsibility for the child.