It’s hard enough to choose a name for your adorable baby, but choosing two for your tiny twin womb mates can seem impossible. Names are everything and will be everywhere from your kid’s preschool finger paintings to their grandchildren’s family tree. You try to gauge their personality and who you think they’ll be based off of their names, but with twins, you worry about their individuality. Knowing different ways to name twins means knowing how to choose names that represent your kids, offering a twin connection, but make them feel like their own, individual person.
Twins, whether they’re same-sex or a boy-girl pair, are still two separate babies. It’s easy to package them together and call them “the twins,” but as they get older, their personalities and characteristics may be totally different from each other. Giving them names like Evan and Ethan or Kelly and Kara may sound cute and fun, but can bring a lot of confusion, especially to those around them. You don’t want it to be easy to mistake one twin for the other, and that can start with their names. With these nine tips on naming twins, you’ll be able to choose monikers that go together without being too matchy-matchy or obvious. Your twins will always have a strong, undeniable connection and bond, so bring the same strength to their names.
1Use Family Names
If you’re interested in a family name for one twin, choose another family name for the other baby. It’s a fun way to match without being too obvious and gives a sweet meaning to both kiddos. Whether you choose both names after grandmothers, or uncles, or siblings, the family tie will keep their monikers close.
2Choose Two Surnames
If a favorite for one of your twins is Smith, try matching it with another surname like Murphy or Kennedy. There’s a lot of room for originality while still maintaining a similar feel.
3Find Names With The Same Meanings
This is super easy and makes for the sweetest pair of names. It doesn’t matter if you have same-sex twins or a boy-girl pair. Andrew and Ethan, for example, both mean strong, as do Audrey and Bridget. They don’t sound anything alike, but there’s still a link.
4Don’t Choose Rhyming Names
Mandy and Sandy or Harry and Larry are not the best ideas for twins. Rhyming names can be extremely confusing for everyone who knows your little duo and can make mixing the two of them up even easier.
5Stick With A Theme
You may not think you’re choosing a theme, but every name choice has some kind of category. If you’re naming one twin Margaret, you could find another classic, traditional name for her twin. Nature-inspired names, names in the same time period, and names based off of books are all great places to start.
6Say The Names Aloud
You need to make sure the names flow, especially when there’s two of them. Even if there’s a reason behind naming your boy-girl twins Alistair and Tiffany, the way the two sound together isn’t as fluid and connected as twins could be.
7If Going Unique, Make Them Both Original
Unique names are fun, but you can’t have a John and a Persimmon. Choose original names for both of your babes.
8Avoid Stereotypical Pairings
Luke and Leia or Lucy and Ethel sound cute, but it sets your kids up for a lifetime of stereotypes and jokes. You can honor your favorite pop culture duos by choosing names from different movies or books.
9Wait Until You See Them To Name Them
Obviously with boy-girl twins, it’s easy to know which twin gets which name, but for same-sex twins, it can be helpful to wait until you see them to choose which one is Peter and which one is Jack.
Images: Donnie Ray Jones, Donnie Ray Jones, Jill M, Bill and Vicki T, Donnie Ray Jones/Flickr; Giphy (5)
