Why on mumsnet do people think their children’s names have to “go” together ?

I don’t get it either. Sounds a bit daft and pre-occupied to me. Against what others are saying: I have an unusual name, my sister has a very common name, the names trip off the tongue together nicely. I don’t know why people have to get others involved in what they call their children IRL or online. (Am clearly v grumpy today.)

You're going to yelling those names, one after the other, often in public, for years if not decades. Having names which aren't actively hostile to each other is quite helpful really.

What's unusual about Taylor and Quentin ?

I did a thread asking for ideas based off my dd’s name- in my case it was just shorthand so people knew what kind of names I liked. There was no point people suggesting Elizabeth and Philippa when I was thinking more along the lines of Aoife and Orlaith.

I think because people are too bothered about what other people think, instead of picking a name they like and sticking with it they need approval from everyone and anyone!

I know of a sibset with the names: Quentin and Taylor. Named after Quentin Tarintino and Taylor Swift. I was extremely WTF when I heard their names.

I kind of like the fact that my kids' names don't at all go together! DD has one of the less-common 'granny names', which you'd expect her brother to be Alfie or Oliver or Freddy or something to 'go with' but actually it's quite contrasting.

On mn it’s cause there are no other clues - nobody knows your ethnicity location or if you’re trendy arty hippy traditional etc so a shortcut to narrow down options is surely to say what your other children are called. I would be stunned stunned if someone introduced their children as Rainbow, River and John.

I always use my children's names together.

Mine first two have quite unusual names, so I think it would have been a bit odd having a top ten name for my third.

But the thing is that the names you like will probably all be quite similar to one another. It's not impossible that if you like Tabitha you'll also like Kacey-Maii but it's unlikely.

I call all my kids by name one after another quite often - mainly because I hated it so intensely when my mother used to call "gerrrllllls!" across crowded rooms/ open spaces/ up the stsirs instead of using our separate names.

I've never understood this either and find it ridiculous. Just choose a name you like and run with that, as long as it isn't outlandish.

Is it not just to see if they flow when saying them. Maybe I'm weird but if I met siblings like 'Tarquin Atticus and Jaidyyn' or 'Tabitha and Kayciee-maii' (exaggerated for effect) then I'd find it unusual. Normally people tend to find the names they like fall into certain patterns so if one really stands out and doesn't fit then it would be unusual. I'm not saying it matters as such but that's my logic.

I don't get why people ask a bunch of strangers for name suggestions at all. They must have come across a few people with names before they got pregnant and there are books,endless sites etc. It can be unintentionally funny though!

I think it's odd. Just pick names you like. Who's really going to question you on OMG their names are so DIFFERENT sounding, WHY did you do that? Similarly no-ones going to care/most won't even realise (unless they're family to you anyway) that your DCs names are a family brand or pattern or whatever. How likely is it that their names are going to be called aloud all at the same time anyway? & even if they were...Who cares. Children are individuals I think most people are aware of that.

I think it's nice for names to have a similar feel to them and often think about how well siblings names go together when I meet children. That said, my dcs names are quite different, one quite popular and one far less so, but I love them both. I know sisters Sophie and Ophelia and always think they are a strange combination.

I don’t think it matters

It is critical for the Christmas cards to have a nice name flow.

Well I had a girl but if I ever have a boy then I will use the name I wanted back then. I can't imagine not using my favourite boy name just because it was originally for the first yellow bump I had

See I don’t understand the DS was going to be Jessica if they were a girl, any future daughter will be Jessica (example from up thread) it’s like they got a cast off name. Mine had mine had a boys and girls name each which were different. (Lucas & Peter).

lamagreyI don't understand the face, I hear and say my kids names alongside one another all of the time. It's surely not that unusual to call them to the table together, get them to put their coats on at the same time etc. People also say 'how are Noah and Ava?' (Or whatever) quite often. I expect this will go in long enough for it to be really annoying if the names didn't 'fit together' well.

I don't see the need for it at all. It's daft. We didn't want to know the sex and settled on Daniel for a boy and Jessica for a girl. We had a boy, so we have Daniel. If we have a girl in the future she will be Jessica. No idea what we would call another boy.
I don't care if they don't go or match or anything. They're the names we loved and so they are the names we will use

I think people will generally choose names that are of the same kind and type eg it's more likely that Jemima has a brother called Tobias than Kyle. If you like names like George and Thomas you're probably going to call your third son James rather than Ethan. If you like names like Eli and Noah you're probably going to call your third son Ethan rather than James. And you actually do spend a lot of time using your children's names together or in various combinations when they are living with you. Surprisingly it doesn't really take very long to think about whether names sound good together so you don't need to have a lot of time on your hands.

Well to me it just sounds a tad daft if you had a Martha Rose and Kortnee-Paige.

You wouldn't hear it in real life often though, would you? I don't think many people have these discussions with people other than the baby's other parent - at least they don't if they're sane.