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

I think it's a bit odd to conceal who came out first information. Isn't that the sort of thing everyone is curious about? My twin cousins laugh about being big/baby brothers fairly regularly.

I don't and our twins have very different names, one Hebrew and one Russian, although both routinely used in the English language. I can't help finding twins with "twin" names a little cringeworthy tbh.

We also made sure the standard abbreviations of our chosen names for DDs didn't "go" either.

They should go together, but not more so than if they were regular single siblings. As a general rule, the more related a family's names are too each other, the less I like it.
So Kelly & Ellie, Andrew and Andrea, Lily and Leila are to be avoided...
But at the same time so is Margaret & Skye.

Although of course if you just happen to love too such names, then why not?

Only insofar as it's nice when siblings names flow well together.

They don't have to "match" more because they're twins.

Blue. That is so true my DC's are called 'the kids' . They are mostly adults but I don't see it changing anytime soon.

It is best if their names start with a different letter. The was a Money Box program on Radio four a few months ago where triplets had all been given a 'k' first name. As 20 year olds one of the teens had debt problems which buggered up ALL of their credit ratings.

I have to say I don't see the issue with 'the twins' (when they're the only children - it's different if it's 'xxx and the twins'). Everyone i know with 2 girls or 2 boys (not twins) calls them 'the girls' or 'the boys'.......I don't see tge difference?

WRT the names, I agree with everyone else that they should complement but not match.

I am going to have to decide pretty quickly, mine are due in 4 days, and haven't got names yet! Someone also advised me that naming two twins of the same gender, the same Dob and the same address could cause identity mix up.

I'm an identical twin- we are Rachel & Rebecca. It hasn't bothered us at all that they are matchy- but agree with others the thing that really grates is being called "the twins". Especially as we have an older brother so it was always, DB and the twins, rather than our own names. My girls have rather matchy names- but they were not deliberately chosen to match.
However one downside was some years ago when we all lived at home, my sister went into the bank in a flap because she had forgotten her handbag. She gave the bank all her personal details, mothers maiden name, address, d.o.b etc and they gave her the money out of my account by mistake - she thought it was fab- I didn't

I was really careful not to give my twins matchy names, but I did want names that sounded ok when said together and had a similar feel.

My husband is a twin and the knowing who is older thing has never been an issue for them although they're not particularly close so don't know if that makes a difference . I would imagine that when they were small they were dressed identically knowing my MIL and probably referred to as the twins .

I think you're on the right track by not calling them 'the twins' and not telling them who is older. My sisters are twins and do not know who is eldest. They are also referred to as the girls, or the bairns when they were younger. I cringe when I hear twins being called 'the twins' rather than their names.

figrus If I was their mum I'd think that was hilarious!

DH sometimes calls ours by a version of Shazzer and Bazzer (not that, but an 'az' adaptation of their names). I cant make up my mind about that... I'm thinking, no.

I know twins called Emily and William. Everyone (behind the mothers back) calls them Millie and willie

I know identical twins called Alice and Ellie. I wouldn't say that they were matchy names but I think they compliment each other. I also know non identical twins - Zoe and James.

My Great Grandmother named her twins Paul and Pauline! What on earth possessed her? I agree that the names should complement each other but definitely shouldn't 'match!'

I think EuphemiaLennox gave good examples, and I agree with all the comments on a normal sibling level of similarity with extra avoidance on first letter matching.

I have twins and we just picked names that we liked. They are both short names with a vaguely Celtic heritage (so not one frilly Georgian name and one Puritan name or one Hispanic name and one Russian name), but don't start or end with the same letter or rhyme etc - so sort of they 'go' without being in any way matchy matchy/twee.

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.

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

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.

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)

I know sisters (not twins) Andrea and Angela.

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

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.