Having twins means double the fun and double the pressure. name twins In a way that respects the unique bond between twins, but that can lead to overly cutesy pairings that seem more fitting for nursery rhyme characters than actual people, it's equally important to have names that acknowledge the individuality of your twins — again, they're human beings, not a matching set. dollFinding balance in baby names for twins is easier said than done.
Luckily, there are a few ways to do this: According to the Baby Names website, names can be linked by style, sound or meaning. NameberryFor example, two names that share a classic style are Elizabeth and Edward, while Ione and Lionel share a similar rhythm. Frederica and Milo seem to have nothing in common, yet both mean “peace.”
upper /NameNerds subredditOne person asked people to share their favourite twin name combinations and the responses didn't disappoint.
One person wrote, “Honestly, to me, nothing beats the Rugrats duo Phil and Lillian 💕.”
A few parents have given their twins names that don't actually rhyme, until nicknames come into play.
“It's the perfect way! They can cutely sign their Christmas cards with their matching names, but when it's time to act, they can write their full names without tripping over.”
“My best friend's parents did that. Her name was Allison and her sister was Carrie. On the surface, their names didn't match, but at home they were Ali and Carrie.”
“Alice and Celia. They're anagrams! They sound very different, but there's an unspoken connection that's not so obvious.”
This sparked a flurry of other anagram ideas: Aidan and Nadia, Lucas and Klaus, Liam and Mila, Noel and Leon, Isla and Leah, Amy and May, Isla and Ali, Cole and Cleo… and even the triplets Alice, Celia and Lacey.
Others have remembered name combinations that sound nice together without straying into cutesy territory.
These matching bunny ears. Photo credit: Canva
“I know twin boys called Charlie and Archie and they are really close,” one person commented.
Another wrote: “Tamia and Aziza. I love how the syllable endings (-uh, -ee, -uh) follow the same sound pattern but don't match up too uncomfortably.”
Another added: “Lucy and Logan, fraternal twins. I think this name combination sounds great and they definitely have the same 'vibe' and even though they share the same first letter I don't think they match up too much.”
Other honorable mentions include Colton and Calista, Kaitlyn and Carson, Amaya and Amera, Alora and Luella, River and Rosie, and Eleanor and Elias.
One person voted for common style names, saying, “If I had twins I would honestly pick two names they would love. I love classic names so for boys I think I'd pick Daniel and Benjamin. For girls my two favourites so far are Valerie and Tessa. I think Val and Tess would be cute together!”
But overall, most people seemed to prefer names that emphasized common meanings over common sounds — and even better, if they included a reference to literature or film.
Many adult twins regret that their names are so closely linked. Photo credit: Canva
“My mum works in insurance so I asked her. She's seen a lot of unique twins but the only one she remembers is Gwenyivea. [sic] “And Lancelot… bonus points… his brother was Merlin,” one person recalled.
Another user said: “If I had twin girls I would name them Ada and Hedy after Ada Lovelace and Hedy Lamarr, early pioneers of computers and technology. I'm not that into technology but I just thought it was a great combination.”
Other great combinations are Susan and Sharon (think of the original “Parent Trap”), Clementine and Carla (the orange variety), Esme and Etienne (the French variety), Luna and Stella (the moon and star), Dawn and Eve, as well as many other plant combinations such as lily and fern, heather and holly, juniper and laurel, and many more.
Perhaps the cleverest name combination is “Aubrey & Zoe,” because… wait for it… “they're from A to Z.”
It's easy to see that naming twins is a wonderful opportunity for parents to be creative and intentional with their baby names. It can be challenging, for sure, but the reward could be the most iconic twins ever. It's well worth it!
