Among adopted children and children considered as his, there are: MINAMOTO no Narinobu (son of Prince Munehira, nephew of Rinshi), whose father became an ordained monk and passed away so his relative, Michinaga, took guardianship; FUJIWARA no Nobumoto (Norimichi's son, later FUJIWARA no Michimoto) and FUJIWARA no Kaneyori (Yorimune's son), who were Michinaga's biological grandsons but Michinaga adopted them in order to facilitate their promotion; and the brothers adopted for the same reason, FUJIWARA no Kanetsune and Domyo (Betto of Shitenno-ji Temple), who were biological sons of Michitsuna, who was Michinaga's half brother by a different mother.
なお、養子・猶子となった者に実父の出家・死去によって縁戚の道長が後見を務めた源成信（致平親王の子・倫子の甥）、道長の実の孫でその昇進の便宜のために道長が養子とした藤原信基（教通の子、後の藤原通基）・藤原兼頼（頼宗の子）、同様のケースと考えられる道長の異母兄道綱の実子である藤原兼経・道命（四天王寺別当）兄弟が挙げられる。