[Opinions] Twin Names Opinions
How do you feel about twin names and their different patterns? I have found that there have been different patterns that evolved when it comes to the naming of twin children in comparison to regular siblings. In times past twins were sometimes given names off by 1 letter (like Tara and Sara for instance) though probably thankfully that has fallen out of fashion in recent decades. Another popular trend is to give them different names but have the same first initial (like Tia and Tamera Mowry for instance) That option I am still guilty of being a little partial too even though people sometimes think it is a little too cutesy in the present. The next one is having a uniting theme of some nature in which the names don't necessarily immediately connect but have a similar origin or meaning. Like if twin girls were named Diana and Artemis for example because those are the greek and roman equivalents of the same goddess. The next is simply having a similar style between the two that sound cohesive together. Like having twins named Henry and Beatrice because they are both popular and old fashioned names. Lastely, there is going completely off the trend and picking names that don't even sound like sibling names. For instance I once knew a boy and girl twin set named Aries and Deborah because the mom liked the astrology origin of Aries and named the girl after her mother. Which ones would you consider doing? What are the pros and cons of each? and just for kicks and giggles do you have favorite twin name combinations you would like to share? any others you dislike that you've heard before? Here are my favorite that I probably wouldn't use but still like in theory:
Girl/Girl:
Ingrid and Veronika
Esmerelda and Sapphira
Lucy and Molly
Olive and Ivy
Daisy and Lily
Phoebe and Daphne
Diana and Daphne
Winifred and Beatrice
Annora and Avalon
Lilac and Lavender (*a guilty pleasure I know it's atrocious)
Boy/Girl:
Adrian and Beatrix
Artemas and Arcadia
Henry and Daphne
Edward and Diana
Nellie and Oswald
Beatrix and Theodore
Koda and Laika
Milo and Olive
Wesley and Lilah
Boy/Boy:
Henry and Simon
Koda and Soren
Castor and Apollo
Flint and Phoenix
Simon and Sylvester
William and Henry
Alastair and Sebastian
Leo and Wesley
River and Hawkeye
Julius and Adrian
Please rate my favorite names list if you have a spare moment, thank you :) https://www.behindthename.com/pnl/223226/138473
Girl/Girl:
Ingrid and Veronika
Esmerelda and Sapphira
Lucy and Molly
Olive and Ivy
Daisy and Lily
Phoebe and Daphne
Diana and Daphne
Winifred and Beatrice
Annora and Avalon
Lilac and Lavender (*a guilty pleasure I know it's atrocious)
Boy/Girl:
Adrian and Beatrix
Artemas and Arcadia
Henry and Daphne
Edward and Diana
Nellie and Oswald
Beatrix and Theodore
Koda and Laika
Milo and Olive
Wesley and Lilah
Boy/Boy:
Henry and Simon
Koda and Soren
Castor and Apollo
Flint and Phoenix
Simon and Sylvester
William and Henry
Alastair and Sebastian
Leo and Wesley
River and Hawkeye
Julius and Adrian
Please rate my favorite names list if you have a spare moment, thank you :) https://www.behindthename.com/pnl/223226/138473
This message was edited 2/7/2021, 9:47 AM
Replies
It doesn't really bother me when people want their twins names to match somewhat more than non-twin siblings, for example I don't have a problem with names starting with the same letter, as long as they don't share too many other similarities, like, for example, Alice and Alexandra, which are both classics, share some of the nicknames, the second letter, are generally in a similar style etc. It's not something I would do myself, but I have no problem with it if that's how someone names their twins. Similarly if there's a uniting theme, I think it's something that a lot of people go for also with non-twin siblings, that they have some sort of a pattern. I don't like though if it's too ridiculously obvious. Similarity in style is also okay because I think that's what most families, regardless whether with twins or not, like to go for.
What does bother me is when twins have only one letter difference in their names like the Tara and Sara you mentioned. I think that's asking for some real identity issues for the children. Or if the names are too obviously matchy in some other way.
If I were to have twins and name them though, I don't think I'd do it any other way than non-twins. That is, if I had some subtle theme or pattern I'd want to use, I'd use it regardless of whether I would be having twins or not, or if I wanted to use some names starting with the same letter. If, say, I had a name picked for a single baby at the start of pregnancy, one that I've always liked and wanted to use, I wouldn't change my mind when I'd learn that I'm having twins, unless the name I chose originally wouldn't fit with what I'd want to use for the other baby, but if it wouldn't fit with the other baby then I'd probably be careful using it on a single child as well because I may end up having more children in future and I don't want their names to clash too badly or be too matchy, regardless if they're twins or not.
Of your twin sets, I like Molly & Lucy and Nellie & Oswald most.
What does bother me is when twins have only one letter difference in their names like the Tara and Sara you mentioned. I think that's asking for some real identity issues for the children. Or if the names are too obviously matchy in some other way.
If I were to have twins and name them though, I don't think I'd do it any other way than non-twins. That is, if I had some subtle theme or pattern I'd want to use, I'd use it regardless of whether I would be having twins or not, or if I wanted to use some names starting with the same letter. If, say, I had a name picked for a single baby at the start of pregnancy, one that I've always liked and wanted to use, I wouldn't change my mind when I'd learn that I'm having twins, unless the name I chose originally wouldn't fit with what I'd want to use for the other baby, but if it wouldn't fit with the other baby then I'd probably be careful using it on a single child as well because I may end up having more children in future and I don't want their names to clash too badly or be too matchy, regardless if they're twins or not.
Of your twin sets, I like Molly & Lucy and Nellie & Oswald most.
I don't mind some matchy twin names. Mostly I'd name them like any siblings but the names need to go together and sound the same age.
From yours I like:
Esmerelda and Sapphira
Lucy and Molly
Phoebe and Daphne (too close for real twins but they do match)
Winifred and Beatrice
Adrian and Beatrix
Beatrix and Theodore
Koda and Laika
Wesley and Lilah
Koda and Soren
Castor and Apollo
Alastair and Sebastian
Leo and Wesley
Julius and Adrian
From yours I like:
Esmerelda and Sapphira
Lucy and Molly
Phoebe and Daphne (too close for real twins but they do match)
Winifred and Beatrice
Adrian and Beatrix
Beatrix and Theodore
Koda and Laika
Wesley and Lilah
Koda and Soren
Castor and Apollo
Alastair and Sebastian
Leo and Wesley
Julius and Adrian
Twins I've known:
Ardre and Janine - both girls
Gillian and Patricia
Michelle and Michael
Lisa and Ian
There are no twins in my family.
I can think thematically about girl names, but not boys really.
Alice and Celia - anagrams
Helen and Lucy - at a stretch, meaning
Laura and Tessa - two syllables, -a endings
Ardre and Janine - both girls
Gillian and Patricia
Michelle and Michael
Lisa and Ian
There are no twins in my family.
I can think thematically about girl names, but not boys really.
Alice and Celia - anagrams
Helen and Lucy - at a stretch, meaning
Laura and Tessa - two syllables, -a endings
Hmm ... I like Michael a lot, but I prefer Michele to Michelle. I taught those twins, and disliked them both! Their parents were divorced and lived in the same block of flats (apartment block): Michael supposedly with his father and Michelle with her mother, but in fact they played musical chairs: any conflict with one parent, and that child would stamp downstairs or upstairs and then there'd be more trouble so the other twin would leave, and so on and on. They both became manipulative and passive-aggressive but in different ways. Very beautiful kids, if you could ignore the expressions on their faces.
I've just remembered that someone I know slightly has had boy twins (last year): Adam and Charlie. Not Charles.
I've just remembered that someone I know slightly has had boy twins (last year): Adam and Charlie. Not Charles.
I'm probably in the minority as well - cohesive twin names are what I go for!
Same initials: Chloe & Charlotte, Abigail & Adrian, Lucas & Logan
Same origin/association: Bridget & Caitlin, Lucian & Phoebe, Parker & Jackson
Same style: Victoria & Elizabeth, Matthew & Amber, Aiden & Landon
I also like twin names that have...
Similar syllabic patterns: Jacqueline Meredith & Lauren Elizabeth, Theodore Elijah & Abigail Naomi, Dylan Maurice & Nicholas Shawn
Similar sounds: Madeline & Jacqueline, Eleanor & Theodore, Andrew & Matthew
Reverse initials: Reagan Cassandra & Caitlin Rebecca, Nolan Joshua & Jasmine Nicole, Caleb Elliott & Ethan Christopher
Same initials: Chloe & Charlotte, Abigail & Adrian, Lucas & Logan
Same origin/association: Bridget & Caitlin, Lucian & Phoebe, Parker & Jackson
Same style: Victoria & Elizabeth, Matthew & Amber, Aiden & Landon
I also like twin names that have...
Similar syllabic patterns: Jacqueline Meredith & Lauren Elizabeth, Theodore Elijah & Abigail Naomi, Dylan Maurice & Nicholas Shawn
Similar sounds: Madeline & Jacqueline, Eleanor & Theodore, Andrew & Matthew
Reverse initials: Reagan Cassandra & Caitlin Rebecca, Nolan Joshua & Jasmine Nicole, Caleb Elliott & Ethan Christopher
I dislike obviously themed first names, same first letter first names and rhyming first names on siblings and especially twins.
We're expecting twins. We don't know the genders yet, so we haven't been able to discuss names properly. If we have boy twins, both will probably have word names as their first middle names. If we have twin girls, they might have an etymologically related second middle name (two variants of Maria). Our first born daughter's second middle name, which is also my middle name, is also related to Maria. I would love to use my grandmother's middle name, which is a variant of Maria, and I figure that if two out of three daughters have a related second middle name, it's only fair that the third one has too. It bothers me less than I thought it would.
If we have girl-boy twins, there probably won't be any theme.
We're expecting twins. We don't know the genders yet, so we haven't been able to discuss names properly. If we have boy twins, both will probably have word names as their first middle names. If we have twin girls, they might have an etymologically related second middle name (two variants of Maria). Our first born daughter's second middle name, which is also my middle name, is also related to Maria. I would love to use my grandmother's middle name, which is a variant of Maria, and I figure that if two out of three daughters have a related second middle name, it's only fair that the third one has too. It bothers me less than I thought it would.
If we have girl-boy twins, there probably won't be any theme.
I'm not a fan of matchy twin names. I think I would name them the same as any other siblings. Cohesive names that if they do have a theme, it is very subtle. I don't think of what I'd name twins because I'd just name them my favorite names.
Of yours I like: Lucy and Molly, Phoebe and Daphne, Winifred and Beatrice, Henry and Daphne, Edward and Diana, Wesley and Lilah, Henry and Simon, William and Henry and Leo and Wesley.
Of yours I like: Lucy and Molly, Phoebe and Daphne, Winifred and Beatrice, Henry and Daphne, Edward and Diana, Wesley and Lilah, Henry and Simon, William and Henry and Leo and Wesley.
There are several twins in my family
Albert & Alberta
Paul & Pauline
John & Eileen
Gordon & Norman
Peter & Malcolm
Patricia & Carol
I like what most of my relations did by giving most of the children what were probably popular names when they were all born. The names though for the most part though could be any siblings not necessarily twins. They are recognising the children as individuals.
I think Paul and Pauline and Albert and Alberta shows a lack of imagination at first glance. Paul and Pauline though are actually two in a set of triplets and the third baby was given a very creative name though it too started with a P.
Other twins I have come across
Rhona & Freya
Anna & Sophie
Aidan & Seamus
Mairi and Mhairi (pronounced Maree and Varee)
Leo & Claire
Ruaraidh & Fraser (pronounced Ruree)
Albert & Alberta
Paul & Pauline
John & Eileen
Gordon & Norman
Peter & Malcolm
Patricia & Carol
I like what most of my relations did by giving most of the children what were probably popular names when they were all born. The names though for the most part though could be any siblings not necessarily twins. They are recognising the children as individuals.
I think Paul and Pauline and Albert and Alberta shows a lack of imagination at first glance. Paul and Pauline though are actually two in a set of triplets and the third baby was given a very creative name though it too started with a P.
Other twins I have come across
Rhona & Freya
Anna & Sophie
Aidan & Seamus
Mairi and Mhairi (pronounced Maree and Varee)
Leo & Claire
Ruaraidh & Fraser (pronounced Ruree)
This message was edited 2/7/2021, 11:25 AM