Mariska Hargitay appears in a photo posted on her Twitter page. - Provided courtesy of twitter.com/mariska

Mariska Hargitay adopts a baby girl, Amaya Josephine

Get more: Celeb Babies, Mariska Hargitay

04/07/2011 by Corinne Heller

Mariska Hargitay of the crime series "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" recently revealed that she and husband Peter Hermann adopted a baby girl, Amaya Josephine.

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Their daughter, who is the couple's second child, is a week old and was born in the United States.

Hargitay, 47, and Hermann, a 43-year-old actor, are also parents to son August, who is 4. The actress said she consulted with him over naming his new sister.

"I threw out my name and he threw out his name and I said, 'August, why do you get to name the baby?' And he said, 'Because it's my idea!'" Hargitay recently told People magazine, which broke the news.

Amaya is an adaptation of Maya, one of Hargitay's favorite names, the publication said.

"I liked that name, but I wanted her to have the same initials as August," Hargitay added. "I thought adding the 'A' was so feminine. Amaya sounded so open and feminine and beautiful - just like her."

The actress plays Detective Olivia Benson on the NBC series, which is a spin-off of "Law & Order." The parent show was canceled in May 2010 after 20 seasons.

"LAw & Order: Special Victims Unit" is currently on its 12th season. NBC has not yet announced whether or not the show will be renewed.