Twin names - do you think they have to "go" together???

[twinteresting]

Expecting twins but don't know what sex and aren't planning on finding out (!)

Like q traditional names but not boring (!)

Do you think they need to go?

[Floralnomad]

No they dont need to go because you are having two individuals not a pair IYSWIM.

[TwelveLeggedWalk]

Mine don't really. One is Irish one is classical.
Having said them both 24000 times a day for two years they are now very much 'together' in my head and any poor sod who lives near us

[Bowlersarm]

Loosely, yes.

[Smartiepants79]

I feel they ought compliment each other just as any sibling names should.
I would draw up a short list of names you like and then start looking at your favourites and se how they sound together.
Do you know if they are identical or not?
I would try and see them as just 2 siblings. I never really understand it when people alliterate the names and dress them the same. They are 2 separate people!

[SisterMonicaJoan]

Speaking as an identical twin (with non-matchy names, thankfully!) I would say it's a definite no-no!

Whenever I heard of twins with matchy names I cringe inside.

People think it's cute but twins get treated enough as one person without having similar names.

Having said that, being a twin is fab and your DT will be lucky to have each other!

Congratulations

[Whitershadeofpale]

I don't think match matchy is good but I wouldn't go too different i.e Persephone and Bob would sound odd IMO.

[SisterMonicaJoan]

*hear

[OryxCrake]

You are having two individuals but you're likely to find yourself saying both names in the same sentence frequently so you might want to have names that are easy to say together!

[OryxCrake]

(not suggesting they need to be 'matching' names - erk - btw!)

[TruJay]

I've noticed a lot of people name their twins with names that both begin with the same letter, personally I wouldn't do that, I'd just pick 2 names that I love. Obviously I wouldn't go for 2 completely opposite end of the spectrum names like Ben and Rodreges! But I don't think u have to plan for them to 'match'.

Congratulations on your 2 little bundles x

[twinteresting]

Wow. So many replies - thank you
I suppose that's what I mean in terms of complementing each other.

I heard something on the telly with siblings/twins called Max and Millie
I am not sure we would go for alliteration - one name I really like is v similar sounding to DC1 and we have struck that off as being too matchy matchy

Hadn't thought of having them too matchy taking away somewhat from their identity - I know that we have to be careful not to refer to them as "the twins" and have also been advised not to tell them which one is older to avoid arguments too

[flipchart]

no, no, no, no.

[EuphemiaLennox]

Yes.
With any sibling names you have to consider how they will sound together, as this is often how they will be used during childhood years.

Twin names even more so as they will be said together even more often.

But NOT matchy.

Just complementary, easy to say together and 'sounding right' when you say them.

Eg

Francesca and Frances BAD
Francesca and Gregory FINE
Gregory and Tiger BAD
Tiger and Sky FINE (if that's your thing)

[cece]

They don't have to match but you do need to be careful to give them names that are equally 'good'. Sometimes, in my mind, one twin has a much nicer name than the other. That doesn't seem fair to me. I'm thinking the Olsen (I think that is their name) twins.

[Floggingmolly]

I know a Milly and Molly... What possessed them?

[PollyPlummer]

My twins names are similar in the way that I have seen them recommended together with other names I like.
They dont sound at all similar and dont have matching first letters.

[hmsvictoria]

Choose names that you would pick for any siblings, twins or not. Avoiding the same initial, rhyme and alliteration to encourage people to see them as individuals.

[KristinaM]

I agree they should go together like any other siblings. I grew up with friends ( sisters ) called Mary and annabelle. People constantly commented on why one had a plain name and one a fancy name. Jane and Mary or annabelle and victoria would not have been commented on.

Not that I'm justifying the making of rude comments about children's names but you get my point.

We like traditional names too and as we have very uncommon surnames this works for us . There is no such thing as a " boring" name IMO. A name might be popular in a particular year /town /country /social class but that doesn't make it boring.

[superbagpuss]

I agree

please don't do matching names

but do make them equally unique or plain or traditional, whatever is your scene

mine are equally rare and I like that. it helps people to tell them apart as they don't sound the same

also helps each ds know when I am talking to them

[PollyPlummer]

I know sisters (not twins) Andrea and Angela.

[HoobleDooble]

My parents had a thing about alliteration when it came to naming me and my sister. They were concerned that if we have the same initials we'd be arguing over the post in the morning.

I didn't realise this had stuck with me until it came to choosing possible names for our DS, and I struck anything with either of our initials off the list straight away!

Agree that they should have the same 'type' of name (modern, traditional, bizarre etc.). The other 'thing' I have when choosing names is don't let the last letter sound of he forename match the first one of the surname, or it doesn't flow off the tongue without having to make an unnatural break (e.g. James Smith becomes Jamesmith)

[nooka]

We've a few twins in our family, all have names of a similar type (e.g. two are classic and a bit posh, two are slightly Germanic and two were classic) apart from the last pair they also had the same number of syllables but really different sounds. My great aunts chose to be a bit matchy as their names were Margaret and Helen, but they always went by Peg and Pat.

[Tommy]

I know a family who had Stephen and Stephanie...... why would you do that?
oh an another who had 5 children who all began with M - including a Melissa and a Melanie.

please don't do that

[LeoTheLateBloomer]

I know twins called Rick and Nick. Entirely unintentional on their parents' part - they just hadn't considered shortenings when they decided on Richard and Nicholas. It seems totally twee on first meeting but they get away with it because of the fact that they're shortenings rather than original given names.

I would definitely approach it in terms of siblings rather than having to match in any way.