Choosing a Child’s Name!
If you’re like me, you’ve had that little list of favorite names that you’ve possibly collected for years … long before you were expecting a baby or even married! Once pregnancy occurred and birth became inevitable, however, choosing a name was no longer a fantasy, but now a reality.
Parents consider their children’s names for different reasons. Some choose to name their son after his father, or daughter after her mother (or a combination of them). Some use family names passed down for generations. We selected my maiden name and the maiden names of our my and my husband’s mother for three of our children’s middle names.
Some parents prefer trendy or cute names. Some select names that are very unique and rarely if ever heard before! My neighbor’s two adorable daughters (ages 6 and 4) are named Cayenne and Calliope. Some choose their children’s names to begin with the same letter or end with the same letter of their older children. And some choose a name for what it stands for in another language or for the meaning associated with the name’s origin. Some change the traditional spelling of their child’s name for a creative, unique touch. It’s a completely personal choice, and it can be a very enjoyable or very difficult process!
Although we want very much for our precious children to have special names that have meaning or significance to us, we must remember that our children won’t always be cute babies. Our cute or trendy name choices are the names our children will grow up with and have their whole lives. Have you ever heard a name that sounds fitting for a baby, but would sound silly when he or she is grown and becomes a corporate executive? It’s important to try and picture ourselves in the place of our child and ask, “Is this a name I would like for myself throughout my life?”
Naming Multiples
Learning that you’re expecting twins only increases the challenge of choosing names. We’ve all heard of the twins named “Molly & Polly”. In generations past, parents with twins tended to treat their twins as a pair more so than today, where the importance of asserting individuality has been realized.
Especially with identical twins sets (triplets, or more), rhyming or sound-alike names can instill in them the rightful sense of belonging, but may possibly lead the individuals to need, seek or create alternative ways to exert their unique individuality from their twin sooner or later. They may like or greatly dislike having a name that rhymes with or sounds like their twin’s name.
As moms and dads of multiples, what do we consider when naming our children? Do we attempt to group our children as “the triplets” and thus name them as a set, such as Andy, Randy and Sandy? Or, do we feel that being a member of a multiple set requires all the more effort for establishing differences and spotlighting individuality.
Should either approach be considered right or wrong? Of course not. It’s truly a matter of personal preference. Being mindful, however, of the unique perspective and future feelings of the individual child (and ultimate adult) who happens to a member of a multiple set, is a very important aspect to consider when choosing your children’s names.
My husband and I named our first twin daughters Kathryn and Lauren. Both are family names and happened to end in the letter “n”. The ending “n” wasn’t really intended, but we liked it, so when our (surprise!) second set of twins (a boy and girl) were born, we chose Erin and Brandon. Clearly not fathoming the possibility of having a third set, but wanting to continue our tradition when we learned they were on the way, we chose Sean and Benjamin for our little boys!
Here’s an example of twin naming that may be considered outrageous (and just over the edge of creative). My mom was a kindergarten teacher’s aid in an elementary school where a set of twins in her class were named: “Lemónjello and Orángejello”. Seriously, they were named after Lemon Jello and Orange Jello, just with the emphasis over the accented letters. (???!!!) … I kid you not.
On the other end of the spectrum are two of my personal favorite twin name combinations that belong to two different families who have multiples. On family named their triplet girls; “Faith, Hope and Joy”, and another family named their twin boys “Aaron and Zachary” (a & z). A cool treatment for boy/girls twins could be: “Nadia & Aidan” (the letters are reversed).
What are your multiples’ names?
How did you choose them?
How do your school-aged children feel about their names?
Popular Names for Twins
If you’d like some ideas for naming your babies, here are the top 10 names for TWIN COMBINATIONS in 2011 from TwinParenthood.com.
TWIN GIRLS:
1 Ella, Emma
2 Olivia, Sophia
3 Gabriella, Isabella
4 Faith, Hope
5 Ava, Emma
6 Isabella, Sophia
7 Madison, Morgan
8 Ava, Ella
9 Ava, Olivia
10 Mackenzie, Madison
TWIN BOYS:
1 Jacob, Joshua
2 Ethan, Evan
3 Jayden, Jordan
4 Daniel, David
5 Matthew, Michael
6 Landon, Logan
7 Elijah, Isaiah
8 Jacob, Joseph
9 Jayden, Jaylen
10 Isaac, Isaiah
GIRL/BOY TWINS:
1 Madison, Mason
2 Emma, Ethan
3 Taylor, Tyler
4 Madison, Michael
5 Jayda, Jayden
6 Madison, Matthew
7 Samuel, Sophia
8 Addison, Aiden
9 Olivia, Owen
10 Zachary, Zoe
For the complete list of 50 names for all twin combinations, visit: TwinParenthood.com. For other twin name suggestions as well as other considerations, please visit Baby Names for Twins at About.com.
Blessings ~
