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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to give my twins rhyming names?

193 replies

LapsedVeganAcademic · 09/03/2020 11:16

Before I knew it was twins, DH and I were debating between our two current favourite names... names which happen to rhyme with one another.

WWBU to use them both anyway?

(Both names are unisex, as is very common in his culture... so the question applies regardless of sex. His culture has a broadly similar-ish range of attitudes to rhyming twins as in the UK... so they'd be equally likely to be teased there as here.)

OP posts:
Wotrewelookinat · 09/03/2020 11:44

No. Please don’t. I made every effort I could for my ID twins to have separate identities and not to have to identify as one of a pair until they were old enough to decide for themselves.

Krong · 09/03/2020 11:47

I would do whatever I could to not make them feel like a 'set'. I would want them to feel like their own person, not a half of something.

Sypha · 09/03/2020 11:47

Not unless you live in an Enid Blyton book

pigoons · 09/03/2020 11:47

god no

500Teapots · 09/03/2020 11:48

Don't do it

pooopypants · 09/03/2020 11:50

Please don't.

HonestlyItsFine · 09/03/2020 11:50

I wouldn't.
Unless one or both is a short version of a longer name- ie Gabby (Gabrielle) and Abbie (Abigail) and they can choose to use the longer version or another short.
As it happens, I wouldn't consider teasing the main issue, but I do think it ties them into their "twin" status rather than considering them to be separate individuals who happened to share a uterus.

FridaBorgen · 09/03/2020 11:51

Very bad idea!

Wereeaglesdare · 09/03/2020 11:51

OP I think your best telling us the names and we can tell you if it sounds OK

TheWordmeister · 09/03/2020 11:53

Only if you’re a cartoon family.

MerryMarigold · 09/03/2020 11:54

It depends on the type of rhyme. I know the names are probably not uk names, but Linus and Silas are ok together I think, whereas Molly and Polly are not. Can you tell us the names?

HoppingPavlova · 09/03/2020 11:56

Christ no

TotesGodsWill · 09/03/2020 11:56

Don’t do it!

TealWater · 09/03/2020 11:56

It's not about teasing, in my experience, its about having zero identity and both being known as one person with two names and no one bothering to learn the name of both individuals.

It depends what you mean by twins. Are they fraternal twins? If so, that's ok. And if one's a boy and one's a girl (think Brandan and Brenda from BH90210), then it's not like they can easily become confused with the other so then a rhyming name won't be as confusing. But, if the twins are identical/same sex and you name them like say, Hannah and Anna, Marilyn and Carolyn, or Janet and Janice (not rhyming but similar), then they will be constantly being confused for the other and that, from experience, really pisses off twins who naturally seek their own identity. Which they can't do if people continue to refer to each of them collectively as "Hannah-or-Anna", and "MarilynorCarolyn".

So, non-identical? Not a problem.
Identical? No way. Make sure their names sound different so they cannot be confused.

HonestlyItsFine · 09/03/2020 11:57

OP already said they are unisex names and now I am raking my brain. (unless they are not popular names in Britain, of course)
Kelly and Kerry? (unusual for males, not unheard of)
Honestly can't think of any more, but maybe I am unimaginative!

memememe · 09/03/2020 12:00

i knew of twins called beth and lizzie which struck me as odd. i think it does depend on the names and if they are the same sex...

HonestlyItsFine · 09/03/2020 12:02

Beth and Lizzie are both names in their own right, though even if they originated from Elizabeth. I think that's OK- as long as they aren't both Elizabeths who shortened their names!

Lumpjumpbump12 · 09/03/2020 12:03

If the names are pretty plain like say jen and Ben I think it would be ok. If they're unusual or unconventional names then that's a double whammy and cruel.

Melioration · 09/03/2020 12:03

No. Do your best to find names that are totally different in letters syllables and endings. Also shortenings.

Wherever you go there will be people trying to make them the same. I still remember a really shockingly conflating report at parents evening from a drama teacher who taught mine in separate classes. You would have thought a drama teacher would have more people skills. This was in a school of over 1600 so not as if twins were a novelty.

You need to give them every chance to live their life as individuals. It can be an uphill task.

Bluetrews25 · 09/03/2020 12:03

Pixie and Dixie?
No.

myohmywhatawonderfulday · 09/03/2020 12:03

I am so glad you asked this question to get some opinions.

I usually think its none of anyone else's business but in this case I would think its mean to do that to the children.

Lunar567 · 09/03/2020 12:03

I am a twin and my name rhymes with my sister's name. I like our names, have never had a problem with teasing. Also had friends twin sisters at school and their names rhymed. They never had any problems either. Choose names you like.
And we liked dressing the same and found it amusing when people couldn't tell us apart.

Isthistrueor · 09/03/2020 12:05

Do not do this, it’s utterly ridiculous. I know a woman with DD’s about 18 months apart who are called Millie and Mollie, she literally changed one letter. Also a Harley and Marley in my DC’s school Hmm. So tacky.

Bezalelle · 09/03/2020 12:06

Don't do it! You risk turning them into a novelty sideshow.

GrumpyHoonMain · 09/03/2020 12:06

I knew Indian twins that were called pervat and pervati until a relative knocked some sense into the couple. So there really is no accounting for taste