The world knows that Jennifer Lopez delivered healthy twins on Friday.  We’re still waiting for confirmation of their names, but an unconfirmed rumor suggests that they’ll be known as Max and Emme.

An announcement is expected soon, but since she and husband Marc Anthony kept the pregnancy quiet – long after the missus was sportin’ a serious baby bump – soon might not be soon enough for starbaby watchers.

So for now, let’s look at the possible names of the most famous twins since Mary Kate and Ashley.

With Max Liron Bratman’s arrival last month, it appears that Max is the name of choice for celeb songstress mamas. But Max has long been a starbaby staple:

• Reality stars Trista and Ryan Sutter named their son Max.
• Broadcaster Joan Lunden chose the name for one of her late-in-life twins – she had two sets!
• Scrubs actor John McGinley has a Max.
• Henry Winkler’s son Max is now all grown up.
• Olympic figure skater Scott Hamilton’s son is Maxx. Yup, that’s not one, but two xs. Don’t go there.

Max is a solid choice, and while it is popular, it isn’t exactly fresh.  As an independent name, it ranked #160 in 2006 – and has been in the Top 200 since 1987.

Last year, Maxwell actually charted a few places higher than the nickname, at #149.  Factor in Maximus (#374), Maxim (#852) and Maximo (#922) and there are quite a few boys called Max on your local playground.

Here at ApMtn, we’re quite fond of Maxim, for the noun-name vibe – a maxim is a general truth or principle – and we also secretly love the imperial Maximillian.  The coolest version of the name, though, must be the Italian Massimo.

Emme, as an independent given name, has never charted in the Top 1000 in the US.  But Emma and Emily have stood at #1 and #2 in the popularity charts for the last several years.  Consider respellings like Emilie (#491) and Emmalee (#685) plus elaborations like Emilia (#420) and surname twists  Emerson (#305) and Emery (#778) and Em- is the most common syllable out there for girls these days.

Doubtless, more Em- twists will surface.  If the rumors are true, Emme will surely crack the Top 1000 with a bullet in the next year or two, and the sweetly old-fashioned Emmeline might just follow.

The similar, but completely unrelated Esme, has a bit more spirit.  From the French word for esteem, it has a certain indie literary cred, thanks to JD Salinger’s short story For Esme with Love and Squalor.  Esme also did not rank in the Top 1000 in the US – an appealing quality for such a simple name.

Max and Emme are surprisingly ordinary choices for a woman who’s lived a life so large.  Here at ApMtn, we secretly wish that when the names are finally revealed, they’ll be something far more dramatic.  Or, at least, that their middle names will be utterly original.

But since that reveal might not happen for months, even years, for now, we’ll close the book on Max and Emme.