Naming twins – it’s a little different than naming just one baby. You have a few more things to consider. Do you want the names to sound the same? Do you want them to look the same? To have the same meaning ? How do the two names sound when you say them out loud in a sequence? There is lots to think about.
Some parents decide to go with names starting with the same first initial. You may already have other children with the same first initial and you can continue the tradition while keeping the names unique to each child. ie. Kathy and Kevin, Michael and Mary.
Another consideration when naming twins is how much alike do you want them to be? A name symbolizes who you are – your unique self, so I think it’s wise to allow some difference to shine through so your children know their uniqueness. If the names sound too similar , you will always have two answers when you call, difficulties can arrive in school settings, and your children may feel more like one person, two halves of a whole, rather than two separate individuals.
Naming twins using anagrams.
Using anagrams when naming your twins is a really neat idea. An anagram is created by simply re-arranging the letters in one name to create another name. For example –
Amy and Mya
Reva and Vera
Leon and Noel
Mary and Myra
Ira and Ria
Dolly and Lloyd
Aiden and Nadia.
Naming twins using meanings of the names.
You can choose to name your twins based on the meanings of the names themselves. These names may not sound alike, but have the same meaning in different languages. You may want to look for meanings that are important to you such as strength, honesty, love or light.Here are some ideas for you.
Aurora and Dawn – both names mean “dawn”.
Brendan and Sarah – Brendan means ‘prince’ in Irish and Sarah means ‘princess’ in Hebrew.
Cara and Mia – In Italian Cara means ‘beloved’ and Mia means ‘my’ – so the two names together mean ‘my beloved’.
Chandra and Selene – Chandra means ‘moon’ in Sanskrit and Selene in the Greek goddess of the moon.
Deborah and Melissa – both names mean ‘bee’, but Deborah is Hebrew and Melissa is Greek.
Erica and Heather – Erica means ‘heather’ in Latin.
Melanie and Phoebe – Both names are Greek – Melanie means ‘dark’ and Phoebe means ‘light’.
Grace and Hannah – Hannah means ‘grace’ in Hebrew.
Eve and Zoe – Both names mean ‘life’ but Eve is Hebrew and Zoe is Greek.
Ione and Violet – Ione means ‘violet’ in Greek.
Irene and Salome – both names mean ‘peace’ but Irene is Greek and Salome is Hebrew.
Ezra and Ophelia – both names mean ‘help but Ezra is Hebrew and Ophelia is Greek. Some names just sound great together – if that’s the case then go for it ! You will be saying them a lot. Always put some thought into what nicknames may arise from the names you choose as well. As hard as it may be – I’d refrain from telling anyone your choices as you’ll get way too many opinions from others. So unless you want a lot of opinions, keep it a surprise. Naming twins is a fun challenge! Here are some more name suggestions to get you thinking.
Hopefully this list will help you brainstorm ideas for naming twins. It can be a lot of fun – be creative and you’ll find the perfect names for your twins!
Some other tips for naming twins are to use names beginning with the same letter, use names that rhyme, or even use names that have absolutely no connection between them what so ever. Sometimes parents get so wrapped up in trying to choose the perfect matching names for their twins that they forget the fact they have the option of choosing two names that are completely unique. After all, you’ll be saying those two name a whole lot over the next 20 years!