Mumsnet Talk

There's often posts on here about how to pick names that 'match' the older siblings.

I may be dim but I don't get it - what are the rules of matching? Obviously Connie and Bonnie sounds hideous together but I don't get what logic people use to respond to these questions.

This is a serious question - worried I'll make a mistep with dc2!

Of course, there are no 'rules' to pick matching sibling names...

Use common sense and avoid obvious mismatches (as you said, like Connie, Bonnie or Sam and Pam) and just choose names you love and that go with your surname!

try to havedifferent initials -it makes lists easier e.g. shoes for x, top for y etc or have the same initial-great for nametapes!!I actually know 2 families who named their children alphabetically-they both had 4 e.g.Anna,Ben,Clare,David better than another friend who called his number 1,2, 3, 4 and5!!I think if one has an unusual name and the others don`t they may be jealous.

One unusual name and one normal name sounds odd to me.
John and Star for instance.

I'll probably choose another 'biblical' name to go with DS when we have another.

good practical ideas maddylou. any others?

I like them to be from the same style bracket without sounding similar.

eg a good sibling set would be Saul and Ruth (both bible names, but using different consonants and having different initials.).
Reuben and Lydia would also be a good sibling set. Bible names and different consonants.

However, to be really pedantic, Gabriel and Reuben wouldn't be quite so good! Old testament and new testament! But ignore me, I am super pedantic.

Juliet and Annabel (both classic and English)
Olivia and Isabella (both popular and feminine and ending in a)

Beatrix and Florence (feminine but very strong)

I could do this all day. My children's names do 'match' as in go well together, they were both popular in about 1935 and are both nns of two very classic English names.

well you choose names that sound like siblings......

Matthew, Thomas and Anna

Jessica and Chloe,

Araminata and Benedict

Willow, Star and Blue,

Cassius, Ophelia and Sebastian

Jack and Lucy

Jayden, Mackenzie and Chantelle

an example of what would make me raise and eyebrow...

Flora and Casey. I would think one is Victorian and an old-lady classic, the other is modern, unisex and American.

I'd assume that Casey were a boy because I would think, well parents who choose Flora for a girl wouldn't like Casey for a girl would they, so Casey must be a boy.

Does that make sense?

I couldn't care less if my DCs names matched. I personally think it is a load of old codswallop(sp)!!!

If you love the name why does it matter if they match. If you want your DCs to be called Sam and Pam then go ahead.

But Kayzr would you paint one wall of your sitting room red and the other wall pink?

I think it's more important for siblings names to be strong individually but to gel naturally.

I mean, it's not vital, crucial, essential. But nor are the vast majority of things we buy or do!

Yes I would if I wanted one wall red and another pink.

I'm often told that my boys names clash and tbh I really don't care at all. They are the names we wanted.

They are Freddie and Dylan btw.

Freddie and Dylan isn't a clash exactly, but one is more modern than the other.

They are both nice names. I am only over analysing it all on this thread because OP asked for advice. HOnestly, in rl I don't go about over-thinking it so much!

I know of 3 sets of siblings called Jack & Lucy. All would be late teens/early 20's now.

Brothers called Arron & Rowan

I went to school with twins called Jack & Jill.

Also used to live next door to a David, Adam and Daniel. Collectivly known by their father as the DAD squad.

I think my DCs names do go well together. But have made the mistake of using same initial for first names. So now they are getting bigger and post comes addressed to Mr J XXXXXXXXX it could be one of 3!

Needmorehours, My friend is one of 3 all names begin with A. As do their parents. So when the post comes only his mum knows which is her post.

Margot, I normally get told that Freddie is very German and it is a German name and that Dylan is very Welsh. Apparently I should have stuck with German names or called Freddie something else.

My perception of Frederick is that it's quite British. Little Lord Faunteleroy kind of thing! I like it. The German connection hadn't occured to me, just because there was a famous German called Frederick.

OP, another thing to avoid is names ending in the same sound. eg Ross and Grace. When shouted up the stairs "phone for you Grace!" they will both come running.

I think it has mostly been covered - over rhyming (eg Bryan and Ryan) is daft, as can be excessive alliteration (Stephanie and Stavros, David and Davinia) or names that have a totally different feel (Mark and Moonbeam, Jane and Tallulah) also worth thinking about (particularly for twins) is approximate length. I knew a pair of idential twins in their 50s and Catherine still felt aggrieved that it had taken her so much longer than her sister Ann to learn to spell her name.

Mostly though, I think if parents love both names they do tend to go together.

lol at conniedescending. We were on holiday once and family in next room had 3 water related names for their dds(don't want to out them on here as they were lovely family)but a very straightforward surname - poss taking theming too far?

water related names?

River, Lake, Ocean?

I think I am starting to get it although can't imagine why Dylan and Freddie don't go together.

My cousin has boys Hunter and Jasper and I think they are both lovely names but sound too much alike. Know of some people who have a Teguela and William and although I think it sounds fine I wondered why they picked a unique and then a very common name.

My dd (only child - thus far) has a very unusual Asian name - unusual in both UK and India. Never occurred to me that I will be (maybe - could decide not to care) limited to picking another unusual (or even Indian) name the second time around.

And,had no idea there is a Reuben in the bible but confirmed on WIKI!! Must of the missed that Sunday school class :.)

Reuben was the eldest of the children of Israel.
With Simeon and Levi the next in line.

Much of my biblical knowledge comes from Lloyd Webber musicals.

Well i have an arthur and am currently expecting a girl - my mother suggeted martha.

yes mum - martha and arthur sounds great and doesn't have any other meanings/connotations at all.

So thats an example of names that don't go well together

Exactly what conniedescending said

Martha and Arthur

(MargotBG - you must be psychic - it was Rivers, Ocean & Storm - sorry lovely family!)

i don't think my children's names match.
c a l u m and s o l
i'm not sure it matters.

Not psychic, lucky guess. I went to school with twins Storm and Gale. I wasn't sure which got the better deal.