To think names don't need to 'go together'?

[pancaketits]

Time after time I see requests for names suggestions that must 'go' with the names of their siblings. Why?

Not a clue. I found this out nine years too late. I don't think my siblings and I get mentioned much in the same sentence so not sure what the worry is.

Nobody worries when they marry someone if their names go together.

It’s called the book end effect I think people like a sense of order eg alliteration or a theme. To me it would feel odd to eg have an Araminta and a Ricky.
I’ve heard people say sibset which sounds really annoying (and only heard on SM)

I don’t get it either, and suspect these posts are from the sort of woman who’s been breathlessly planning her children’s names since her first Tiny Tears, and who thinks of her children as a sort of matching ‘set’. Like a three-piece suite.

I'm not sure why it's important. Maybe so that one child's name doesn't "stick out" as being a bit odd or out there?

Well you wouldn't want a Tim and a Kim, or a Harry and Meghan would you?

Names do tend to go together though; all mine are biblical names (of the modern variety, not the Balthazar, Nebuchanezzer variety) , so its highly unlikely that I would have eg Peter, Mohammed and Jayden-Kai isn't it? It is far more likely I would have a short repeat pattern of Mark, Paul, Luke (one syllable). People do tend to name in matching styles :

eg Poppy, Holly, Daisy - but you wouldn't throw in a Margaret instead of Daisy

Eg Jack, Sam, Ben - and you wouldn't throw in a Benjamin as it would upset the natural order

I used to know two boys who were brothers, called Philip and William.

It had never occurred to them that they would be called Phil and Bill, which sounds like a pair of dentists.

What Daffodil said. You probably wouldn’t want a Katrina and a Marina for example. Some names clash with each other, in my opinion anyway. No law against it though

I imagine that people who want their children's names to 'go' are slightly over concerned with presenting a certain, usually middle class, image (and probably would be more likely to send family photo Christmas cards or the dreaded round robin newsletter each year).
I have no idea why, and know that's ridiculous but it's one of those 'picturing off MN' things.

I do understand not wanting really clashing or rhyming names but surely that would work itself out without needing to know whether Noah, Alfie or Henry goes best with Matilda.

(Light hearted in case anyone takes that too seriously)

I think it’s really important as it sounds so weird otherwise. But deciding whether names go together or otherwise is also related to whether you like them. I always feel sorry for Lily Allen’s daughter Ethel who has a sister with (in my opinion) the far prettier mane Marnie. But people who say they wouldn’t think it a bit weird if there were siblings named Jayden and Tarquin are being a little disingenuous.

I agree totally, I've no idea why people think siblings names have to go together.

@LakieLady a pair of dentists

I don't get it either. Even if the names don't "go" at first glance, eventually it will just be their names and nobody will think anything of it. Someone I know is very much white with a Scottish first and last name, whilst his sister is half-Pakistani and has a traditional Pakistani first and last name. Nobody bats an eye.

Not siblings, but I worked with a man called Gary, whose son (only child) was called Harry.

I have no idea what the wife/mother was called, though I suspect that Carrie might not be out of the question ....

I feel the same with surnames. I can’t work out why first names need to “go” with surnames? And what makes them “go” or not.

Smileyaxolotl1
But it's never 'do Jayden and Tarquin go together?' because 99% of the time anyone who would like one of those names would hate the other.

The threads are almost always:
DC1 is called 'fairly standard or mildly unusual name' and for DC2 we were thinking of 'names that all form part of essentially the same name style or name bubbles'. Which goes best?

I think just choose a name, I can't understand all the angst.

I understand that there aren't going to be a lot of families with a Jaiden-Kai and a Mohamed. And also why you wouldn't go for obviously asking for piss taking combos like Myra and Ian, that type of thing. Less clear why you could go Poppy, Holly and Daisy but not Poppy, Holly and Margaret. Its all a bit bemusing.

Less clear why you could go Poppy, Holly and Daisy but not Poppy, Holly and Margaret. Its all a bit bemusing.

Because of the syllable sequence - Pop-ee, Holl-ee, Dais-ee … mar-gar-et would spoil it.

I know a woman who has called her two daughters Kayleigh and Kylie. Please don't even ask what the third daughter is named as it's too outing, but it sounds like a brand of trainers. Poor kids.

This is the first I've ever heard of spoiling syllable sequences being a thing. Every day is a school day!

I used to teach a family with a Shane, Shaun, Shania and Sherreen.

Me and my brother have ridiculous matchy names, no idea what our parents were thinking.
I've an old friend named Kelly who has kids, Eliie and Ollie.

Because people do openly comment about weird names (like names which totally don't go with the siblings). For example, if you knew sisters called Octavia, Hermione and Lexi-Mae, or brother Ptolemy and Jaiden wouldn't you be a bit ? It's okay if they don't match completely but you don't want them to sound silly or funny together.

Yes find it a strange aim. It's like there is no acknowledgement that they will actually (most likely) spend the majority of their lives apart.

Though understand trying to avoid too similar names: Anna, Hannah, Evanna and Joanna for four daughters would be a bit interesting. (Saying that, did George Foreman call all his sons George? I've only been told that, never confirmed it.)

I don't get why the worry about them 'sounding' weird together. How often do people say them all together, and not refer to them as 'the children'?

They aren't going to be all glued together for the rest of their lives.

Like I said, nobody stresses about the name of the person they marry not 'going' with theirs.
And what about families with adopted children? I am sure they don't worry about this at all.