Why does it matter what the other child is called?!

As someone with a less common name (that is spelt unusually as well) and with two sisters with traditional names - I did always wish I was called something a little more traditional. Both of my parents have traditional names too, so I just 'stick out' in the family a little. It's not a major issue, but I would have preferred to fit in a bit more...

I have 3 dc. All in the bible(1 obliquely) and all with an internal s sound. Very thematic but honestly not intentional.
I sadly lost dc4 but his name deliberately followed the pattern so he wouldn't feel left out.

I have 3 kids. When I say their names 1,2,3 it sounds fine. But when I say 1 and 3 it's like a tongue twister should have thought it through!

The famous mumsnet triplets, Faith, Hope and Kevin might be old enough to disagree with you by now.

I agree that there's no reason why you can't have an unexpected combination of you want to, but I think quite a lot of people instinctively prefer names that have vaguely the same "feel" without being overtly matchy. My internal rules are:

Both about the same amount common/unusual

Both about the same length (I wouldn't count letters or syllables, but not Maximilian and Lee!)

Both have the option of shortening/pet forms or neither do (but I broke that rule myself - DS2's name is already traditionally a pet form of another name)

Mustn't begin with the same letter (first names) or rhyme

Mustn't be versions of the same name in different languages

Mustn't both have exactly the same meaning (which is not the same as the point above - think something like Hannah and Grace)

But I have known lots of siblings with names that seemed odd combinations to me, and they were perfectly nice people. It's just not something I would do.

I know a family with names along the lines of Lee, Leah, Leanne and Jane.
Poor Jane always got called Lejane, asked if she was a mistake or if she was adopted.

There was a recent thread about the names Holly and Jessica and everyone pointed out that it reminded them of the Ian Huntley case - whereas if you said just Jessica or just Holly that would be much less likely. Generally I think “goes with” can be interpreted as “doesn’t inadvertently make a horrible pairing like Sam and Ella or Fred and Rose”.
Having said that, some people say if I like x, what else will I like - and I can never really see how the suggestions “go with” the original name, so maybe I’m just not cut out for this board!

I actually knew brothers called Neil and Deneil

Testing the origin of names with others is also sensible - so siblings Harry and Henry could be avoided for example.

Well I just know of some twin girls recently called Atlanta and Ocean.....

Because people end up calling their children things like Thomas and Geraldine and William and Benjamin.

I have always wondered why people worry about this, bizarre.

OP I'm sure that your children's names 'go' I bet they're not wildly different

I think you do have to consider existing children to a point

I love the name Ivy for example..but I think people would take the piss when my dd is called Molly

Theo and Teddy could be Theophilus and Edward.
They were probably just Theo and Teddy.

You could argue that Lily and Betsy are the same name, or Polly and Miriam.

I think like everything it’s just about sensible balance isn’t it. Naming 3 children with names that sound nice together, I.e none of them stick out like a sore thumb from the rest and sound jarring, is different to picking a super niche theme and sticking to it rigidly, which I don’t think anyone really does, do they. I think most people’s pool of personal taste will dictate that they end up with names which ‘go together’ anyway. Complementary does not necessarily equate to ‘matchy’, and I think that’s what most people are going for?

I have to agree with you, it's annoying but I do think it's nice to stick to a theme. I wouldn't pick a classic name for one child & a really modern name for another.

If you dress your children in matching outfits people are going to notice. Some of those people will think it’s cute and others will think it’s creepy or very Insta-Mum.

Not the point of your post I know but my mum used to dress me and DSis the same. We looked very similar and a lot of people thought we were twins even though we’re three years apart in age. Her reasoning was if she lost one of us, she could say, “She looks like this but taller/shorter.” I think it’s good logic.

Im guilty of this, but only because I want me childrens names to sound pleasing when said together. During childhood, at events or family occasions, it is likely they will be introduced together most of the time. So it will be obvious if the names don't go together.

I know of two families who have got this epically wrong and it just sticks in my mind.
A family with two boys: Theo and Teddy. Basically the same name! Another family again with two boys: Harley and Finley. Two matchy. Almost the same name.

I know a woman who named her daughter Beau because it means beautiful. She got very upset when people presumed she had a son

Names don't necessarily need to match, but some names just don't go well together.

But that's the point OP is making, they don't need to go together. I have a very old name and my sister a modern name, my mum chose what she liked!

I agree OP, there have been posters on here asking what names “fit their theme” what the actual fuck? The only times it really matters is if the potential kids are Milly and Tilly or Jack and Danny, or something, but even massive thickos can work that out for themselves rather than asking on here.

If you dress your children in matching outfits people are going to notice. Some of those people will think it’s cute and others will think it’s creepy or very Insta-Mum. If you dress your children for the park and have two dressed in hardwearing, practical clothes and one dressed as a pirate then people are going to notice. Some might think that it’s sad that you haven’t given the other children fun costumes. Some might think that it’s unfair on the tiny pirate that you’ve only put them in a costume so that people notice and comment on it all the time. They will notice though.

You need to find the Michael Macintyre sketch devoted to this...

"Lucas"

"TREVOR"

I mean, what was Mrs Rabbit thinking. Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail do not go with Peter and it annoys me more than it should every time I watch Peter Rabbit.

There's also a sexism argument there, the girls got cutesy names, and the only boy got a stronger, more traditional name.