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The Act passed on 8 January 1993 introduced the notion of anonymous birth ( “accouchement sous X”— literally, “giving birth under the name of X”—) into French law for the first time, and made some surprising changes to the nature of that longstanding practice. Far from simply allowing the woman’s identity to be kept secret, as was already the practice when the woman requested such anonymity, the new law gave rise to a sort of legal fiction whereby the birth is deemed never to have taken place. This paper provides a brief review of the history of secret childbirth, outlining the instigation of this troubling institution, its ramifications in terms of filial status, and the legal forces which point to its inevitable disappearance.