Name Help is a series at Appellation Mountain. Every week, one reader’s name questions will be discussed. We’re relying on thoughtful comments from the community to help expectant parents narrow down their name decisions. Thank you in advance for sharing your insight! To have your question considered, email appmtn (at) gmail. Looking for your own private #namehelp post? Order one here.
WELCOMING TWINS IN A BLENDED FAMILY
Kristen and Robert write:
We are having boy/girl twins and are struggling with names.
A little background. This is a second marriage for both me and my husband. He has a son named Christopher and I have a daughter, Kathryn, called Kate.
We’ve decided on family names for the twins’ middles, but first names have us stumped.
Our last name starts with an E but is pronounced You-wen. So many of the names we agree on end with -an, -en, or -on and we’re not sure that works with our last name, or are we overthinking that? And as much as we don’t want any matchy twin names, we also don’t want them to be jarringly different either.
We’ve looked at so many names at this point that I’m not even sure we’re seeing them clearly any longer and it’s making my head spin, so a fresh set of eyes would help.
Here’s our list so far:
BOY NAMES
- Jasper (I like it. He’s still on the fence.)
- Orion (nn Ori)
- Harrison (but I’m not sure about nn Harry, and it feels too popular)
- Luca
- Rowan (He likes it. I’m not sold.)
- Leo
- Beckett
- Simon
GIRL NAMES
- Clea (I saw it on your site and it’s become my new favorite, but then I second guess myself.)
- Olivia (We both like it but there are Olivia cousins on both sides)
- Harper
- Odette
- Haven
- Elliotte (nn Ellie)
We’d love to get your take (and your readers’) on the names above and we’re open to new suggestions.
Please read on for my response and leave your thoughtful suggestions in the comments.
MAKING THE FIRST DECISION
Abby replies:
Congratulations on your twins!
A few things leap out at me:
- We tend to talk about finding our style. I get it, and yet … I don’t have a name style. There are qualities that I appreciate, but. mostly? My style = names that I like. This is not helpful, but it’s also pretty normal. Your list? Feels so much like my lists! Lots of vintage names, popular favorites, some more obscure choices, all in a glorious this-goes-together-because-I-say-so mix. And it does!
- When lots of choices are good, but none are a lock? It’s like you don’t have a toehold. In this case, you do have family middles in mind, so that’s a good start. I’m reluctant to share them here because it might (I mean, a million-to-one chance, but still) spoil the surprise.
So let’s start with what we DO know.
- There’s no rule that says you can’t name your kid Jordan You-wen or Ellen You-wen or Maren You-wen. But … I think your instinct is correct. Since there’s no significance to any of the two-syllable, ends-with-N names on your current lists, it seems like the right approach is to drop them. So that removes Rowan and Simon from the boys’ list and Haven from the girls’ list.
- We’re looking for something midway between traditional and contemporary. As soon as you’ve chosen one twin’s name, of course, you can calibrate the other to, as you say, not match but not be jarringly different.
- Nicknames are great, but you have to love them. I always think it’s worth ruling out a formal name with a really obvious, default nickname if you actively dislike it. In other words? While I think it is a great choice, I’d drop Harrison, too.
- Worth noting: Your older kids’ names skew traditional. Not strongly. But a bit more than your current list. While you’re under no obligation to match their names, it makes me wonder if you’re less likely to ultimately choose the rarest names listed here? Or maybe you’ve grown more comfortable and confident as parents and understand that even a really unusual name can make a great choice today.
FAVORITE PAIRS FROM YOUR CURRENT LISTS
Based on the names I’d suggest dropping, your current boys’ list is Jasper, Orion/Ori, Luca, Leo, and Beckett.
For girls, there’s Clea, Olivia, Harper, Odette, and Elliotte/Ellie.
There are few possible pairs that seem perfect together. Would you consider any of these?
CLEA and LUCA
They share strong L and C sounds, but not in the same order. They’re both a little bit romance language. And while Clea is very rare and Luca quite popular, they’re still a good style match.
ORION “ORI” and ELLIOTTE “ELLIE”
Three-syllable longer names with sweet short forms? Perfection.
BECKETT AND HARPER
Two contemporary choices with surname style that are still clearly gendered. Beckett and Elliotte seem too similar and likely to be confused, but Beckett and Harper are coordinated and still distinct.
FRESH SUGGESTIONS
JASPER AND BERYL
Jasper is a vintage name with a subtle gemstone link. So is Beryl. And while Jasper is pretty familiar, Beryl is very rare. I like the way Beryl’s strong B mimics the strong P sound in Jasper. Another option here? Sybil, or even Hazel, but that’s already on my list.
LEO AND HAZEL
Two mainstream favorites, both with ties to the natural world and strong, bright sounds.
OLIVIA AND THEODORE “THEO”
While both are quite popular, they’re also names with appealing, traditional style. If you like Leo, then Theodore-called-Theo seems like an easy substitute.
ODETTE AND LIONEL
I love Odette’s sparky, vintage presence. It’s an unforgettable name, the kind that seems like it would’ve been walking a red carpet in 1920s Hollywood. Lionel? That’s the name of the dapper fellow in a tuxedo from the same era. (Actually, I’m cheating there – Lionel Barrymore really was a 1920s and 30s Hollywood star.) You might call a little Lionel Leo for short, and I think Odette and Leo are great together, too.
Overall, it’s hard not to love Beckett and Harper for your twins. But I’m also so drawn to Clea and Luca.
From my suggestions, I’d probably put Leo and Hazel at the top, but maybe Jasper and Hazel would have the edge if dad warms to the idea.
It occurred to me Harrison could shorten to Ari vice Ori from Orion. And Harrison flows better to me than Orion with your last name. Harrison and Elliette, Ari and Ellie.
How do you feel about Margot/Margo? Leo and Margo strike me as well paired. Especially with the C/K sounds tying your first two kids’ names, together. Christopher, Kathryn/Kate, Leo and Margo.
Best of luck!
One concern I haven’t seen anyone else mention is that if you go with Clea for a girl, baby boy would be the only one without a K sound at the beginning of his name. It might not be a deal breaker, but probably should be at least considered.
I love Beckett and Harper as twins!
It seems like you love names with an O sound, so here are a few:
Jonah and Naomi
Milo and Fiona
Toby and Hope
You have so many great names on your list! I’m already having way too much fun with this. I love Odette and Lionel, and if you’re calling Lionel Leo, what about Dottie as a nickname for Odette? Odette and Lionel, Dottie and Leo. I like it! Other ideas:
-Simon and Olive (Olive seems like a perfect vintage match with Simon, and similar to Olivia and Odette)
-Orion and Cleo (If you like Clea and Leo, what about Cleo? It gives me the same quirky, mythological vibes as Orion, although Clea would work too.)
-Jasper and Olive (Both vintage and colours with connections to the natural world!)
-Harrison and Elliotte (Both surnames with cute nicknames. If you don’t like Harry for Harrison, what about Hank? Or just Harrison in full.)
Dottie! That’s adorable!
Jasper and Odette! Two great names!
Plus… Jasper means “bringer of treasure” and Odette means “wealthy,” and you guys hit the metaphorical jackpot with twins to add to your family!
The names are distinct but sound nice together (and with your older kids’ names), and the similar meanings connect them subtly.
You’ll be saying these names together a lot, and while they both have two syllables, they share no sounds. I also really like that different syllables are stressed in each name- JASper and oDETTE. It just feels nicely balanced and interesting to me.
Hi again-
I also wanted to say that I really like Jasper & Elliotte (Ellie) together. Definitely a little trendier, but I think they work well together.
Also these combos could work:
Jasper & Jewel
Jasper & Margot
Jasper & Halle
Elliotte & Flynn
Eloitte & Hugo
Eloitte & Orson
Ahh! I misspelled Eliotte twice! Sorry!
Hi!
I played a little with names you are considering and added some that maybe you hadn’t considered. I would be careful when you choose gender-neutral names. I think they can be totally fine, but since they are twins … it is possible that it might get a little confusing. So, here are some other pairings:
Simon & Alice
Simon & Eloise
Simon & Beatrice
Silas & Odette
Levi & Odette
Cyrus & Odette
Orion & Rhea
Orion & Daphne
Orion & Astra (yes…a starry connection!)
Luca & Cosima
Luca & Ariana
Luca & Noemi
Leo & Aria
Leo & Gia
Leo & Gemma
Best wishes!!
My vote is for Orion ‘Ori’ and Elliette ‘Ellie’. Those would be sweet for twins (Ori and Ellie – swoon!) and while different in style to Christopher and Kathryn, Kate and Ellie are perfect. Does Christopher have a nickname at all? The ‘ryan’ sound in Orion makes it feel fine with Christopher. Orion Yu-en is slightly repetitive, but the syllable lengths differ to make it more memorable than awkward. Plus, Ori Yuen works just fine.
I’m usually not a fan of alternate spellings but I absolutely love Elliette, we knew one and she went by Ellie too.
Jasper and Odette are also super sweet.
I think Leo or Theo would pair perfectly with Odette. The repeated O sound connects them beautifully. Though, as parent to a Jasper myself, I also love the idea of a Jasper and Hazel. They both have old-fashioned charm that work well with your older kids’ names.
Christopher, Kate, Leo, and Odette
Christopher, Kate, Hazel, and Jasper
Personally, I like Olivia and Leo or Theodore the best. Both the older children have familiar classic names like these as well. Switch up the nicknames if you want them to stand out. Ollie or Olive instead of Liv; Ted or Teddy instead of Theo, etc. If you want a more unusual pairing, Jasper and Odette would be extremely on trend, easy to pronounce and still uncommon. I think there’s a cartoon with a Princess Odette. Maybe it’s The Swan Princess (or is that the ballet?). I’m sure she and her friends would like those associations.
I’m not sure how to pronounce Clea. Is it Clee-uh or Clay-uh or Clee? There’s room for confusion and you’re going to have to spell that one a lot. I did work with a wonderful woman named Cleo, which I think would be easier and more familiar to a lot of people. It seems to be in style too. I’ve also known men named Cleo, but more women. It probably doesn’t matter much these days, but I’m not a big fan of unisex names when a sibling has a name that is clearly for one generation. Luca and Rowan are also occasionally used for girls; Elliot is more common for boys. There’s some potential for confusion there. While I do like Beryl, it also sounds exactly like “barrel”, at least in my accent.
Take it with a grain of salt, though. Any names you like are the right names.
“Gender”, not generation! Auto correct is a pain.