Naming a baby is such a big deal, but naming twins? Talk about doubling the pleasure and the pressure! Although they’re twins — usually conceived at the same time, and born within minutes of each other — the key is to give babies names that will foster their individuality. Giving twins a set of names that are especially similar is fun, but don’t go overboard, for example, and name boy and girl twins, Robert and Roberta, or Christopher and Christine.
Whether inspired by family members or the worlds of entertainment, literature, or even sports (Venus and Serena?) to name your twins, it’s also a good idea to give twins names that have a similar style and tone, like modern, artsy, or classic monikers. Bernice is an old-fashioned name, while Brooklyn is definitely more modern. While we’ve heard it advised that the names you give twins don’t rhyme, we’re making a case for the rhyming names that don’t sound too corny. Karla and Marla may not agree with us on this, but below there are names for baby girl twins and baby boy twins (and boy-girl twins, too!) that rhyme, but also sound and look great together.
Adele & Gisele
Inspired by the British singer Adele and the supermodel Gisele Bündchen at the same time? Adele means "noble." It derives from German Adel meaning "nobility." Its male form is the Germanic given name Adel. Gisele is a name of French origin, often defined as "beautiful like the stars." It is derived from the Germanic word gisil, meaning "bright pledge." Variants of the name include Gisela, Giselle, and Gisèle. Your girls will have interesting monikers and superstar destinies!
Manuel & Miguel
These M names are a perfect pair. They’re both of Spanish origin, are commonly used, and they sound great together! Manuel means “God is with us,” and those with this name are often nicknamed Manny. Miguel is a Portuguese and Spanish variant of the biblical name Michael. It means “who is like God” and nicknames for him range from Mick and Mickey to Miggy and Miguelito ("little Mike").
Blake & Jake
If you’re looking for your boys to have a certain cool factor, choose these names. Having a boy and a girl? Actress Blake Lively reminds us that her name is not only gender-neutral but super sophisticated for a girl, too. Her three daughters with husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, all have quirky names: Inez, James, and Betty. Jake is a boy's name of Hebrew origin meaning "supplanter" and it's the short from of Jacob.
Cheyenne & Luann
These are sweet-sounding and uncommon names for your baby girls. Cheyenne (pronounced shy-ann) is a Native American name given to a tribe of the Algonquians by the Sioux meaning “strangers” or “foreigners,” according to the Disney Family website. The meaning isn’t great, but the name is so pretty. Luann has Hawaiian origins and the meaning is "enjoyment." For nicknames, we imagine calling them Cece and Lulu.
River & Rider
Just one letter differentiates these names, but River and Rider are strong names that rhyme but they certainly aren’t corny. River is just what we know it as, a body of water. Though more than twice as popular as a boys' name, it's growing as a girls' name, too. Rider has English origins and means “horseman.” According to The Bump, alternatively spelled Ryder, this name is the fifth most popular occupation name for babies, preceded by Mason, Carter, Hunter, and Cooper.
Mia & Lea
Short and sweet names like these can handle middle names that are a little longer. Think: Mia Vivienne and Lea Evangeline. Mia has meanings in a few different languages but is best known to mean “mine” in Spanish and Italian. Mia is also recognized as a derivation from the Slavic word mila, meaning "dear, darling." Lea, which can also be spelled Leah, means “delicate” in Hebrew.
Hannah & Savannah
These names look similar and sound very similar, but the combination is just too cute and modern to ignore. At least we didn’t suggest Montana, right? Hannah is of Hebrew origin and means "favor" or "grace." Savannah means “treeless plain” in Spanish, and it often conjures up thoughts of a Southern belle. Savannah, Georgia, is a romantic and historic city known for its bustling riverfront, Spanish moss and Southern hospitality. Nicknames for these sweeties could be Anna and Ava.
Hailey & Bailey
Yes, these are very matchy but they’re also names for girl twins or a girl and boy twin. Hailey is of English origins and means "Hay's meadow." You could add a twist by spelling Haeley, Hayleigh, Hayley, or Haley. Bailey is of Old English origins and means "berry clearing." Bailey can also be spelled in many different ways, including: Bailee, Baileigh, Bailie, Baley, Baylee, and Bayley.
Ben & Glenn
These are a pair of classic names. Though Ben has a longer version, Benjamin, if used, then the names don’t rhyme and Glenn stands as it is. Ben is of Hebrew origin and means “son,” when Glenn is a Scottish name meaning “valley.” Glenn is also a popular surname, derived from the Irish name Gleann.
Elise & Reese
Elise is the shortened French form of Elizabeth and Reese is known as a form of the Welsh male name Rhys. Fun fact: Oscar-winning Reese (born Laura Jeanne — Reese is her mother's maiden name) Witherspoon has single-handedly propelled this formerly boys' name into girls' popularity. These names Elise & Reese blend together so well.
Millie & Lily
We like that Millie and Lily rhyme, have different spellings (but of course you could do “Milly”) and they’re super sweet-sounding names for baby girls, teens, and adults. Lily is derived from the flower, but a meaning tied to it is “pure.” Millie has many origins and it’s a short version of Mildred, Millicent, and Emilie.
Brody & Cody
These names are middle-of-the-road common, you've heard them often, but probably not exceedingly so. They’re adorable names for twin boys because they conjure up images of two strong-willed and fun-loving little guys. Brody is a Scottish name that means “broad eye,” while Cody is of English origin meaning “helpful.”
Braden & Jaden
Similar to Brody and Cody, these are similar looking and sounding names that go so well together. Braden is an English name that means “broad valley or hillside,” it's popular in the US and Canada. Jaden is Hebrew for “God has heard," and its authentic biblical spelling is Jadon. We think of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith's now grown (and famous) son, when we hear this trendy name.
Chloe & Zoe
This perfect pair is one of our favorites because the names give the feeling of a similar era. They’re baby girls with lots of personality and a zest for life. Chloe means “blooming” in Greek, and can also be spelled Khloe, or as Khloé as the infamous Kardashian sister does, while Zoe is also Greek and means “life.” Spelling variations include: Zoie and Zoey.
Brandon & Landon
Brothers with these names will be bonded by their English origins, and with similar meanings they’re an even better match. According to Nameberry, Brandon, which means “broom-covered hill,” is more popular in 2021 than it was in 2019. Landon means “long hill,” and out of the top 1,000 names lands at number 63.
Bree & Lee
For the girl and boy twins on the way, these names are simple, but also uncommon. Bree is of Irish origin and means “exalted one,” and Lee is of Old English origin meaning “pasture or meadow.” Spelled Bri or Brie, the name derives from the Brie region of France, and can be a nickname for Brielle or Brianna. Lee is a good gender neutral first name, though it was most commonly a surname, it's been given as a middle name to honor a family member.
Quinn & Brynn
These are gender neutral names that can be used for any set of twins. For a boy, you can spell his name Bryn — it means "hill" or "mountain." For Quinn, meaning "counsel," it's traditionally a boy name, and the spelling stays the same for girls and boys. These are wonderful names because they are strong yet pretty, simple to pronounce, but unusual.
Colleen & Eileen
These are traditional Irish names with Colleen meaning “girl,” and Eileen meaning “bright/shining one.” According to Baby Names Hub, the greatest number of people were given the name Colleen in the US in 1964 — 4,538 people. As for the name Eileen, the greatest number of people were given the name in the US during 1947 — 4,240 people. This duo of names might work if searching for classic names that are rarely used these days.
Shaun & John
We like the less-common spelling of Shaun for this duo — it's of Irish and Hebrew origins meaning "God is gracious." John is a common name, but it's still a solid one, which happens to be of Hebrew origins and also means "God is gracious." Of course you can switch it up and spell it Jon. Fun fact: Sean John Combs is the given name of hip-hop mogul Sean “Puffy/P. Diddy” Combs.
Dawn & Fawn
These girls' names are giving all the peaceful, bohemian vibes. When we think of the dawn, we think of daybreak when the light just starts to appear in the day. Eos was the Greek goddess of the dawn. The fawn is a young deer. They're gentle and doe-eyed. As for this names' popularity, according to My Name Stats, there are 1.89 people named Fawn for every 100,000 Americans.
Sean & Vaughn
If you’re looking to keep the name Sean (note the different spelling than mentioned above), but want to pair it with something more distinctive, try Vaughn. A variant of Vaughan, a Welsh surname, it means "little." You can also spell it Von, as it’s pronounced, and match it with Jon.
Kyle & Niall
If you’re looking for strong yet stylish names for your sons, we have these great suggestions. Kyle is a name of Scottish origins and has a few meanings, including “narrow,” “handsome,” and “crown.” Niall is a rare name in the US, but it is of Irish and Gaelic orgins (Niall Horan from the pop group One Direction comes to mind) and means “champion.”
Remy & Rory
Remy is a common boys’ name in France meaning "oarsman," but it’s also a popular name for girls, spelled Remi. It's also a nickname for Remington. Rory has Irish roots, but it’s a great name for a baby of any culture (it means “red king”), whether they’re red-haired or not. You can spell the name Rori as well.
Jeremiah & Josiah
Both of these sweet names have biblical roots. These cute little boys make us think of thoughtful and caring twins and good vibes. Jeremiah is Hebrew for “god will uplift,” and Josiah is Hebrew for “God supports and heals.” Jeremiah's nickname can be Jere, Jerry, or Jem. Josiah's nickname can be Josie, Jo, or Siah.
Faye & Mae
Ok, these twin girl names fall under the old-fashioned style and tone category, but they’re also distinctive and pretty. Faye is derived from Middle English and means “fairy,” while Mae is similar to the month of May, but the spelling makes it more special. The English and Hebrew meaning of Mae is “bitter,” but we like the alternative meaning “pearl.”
Kylie & Miley
Straight away, these names make us think of celebrity Kylie Jenner and singer Miley Cyrus (she was born with the name Destiny Hope), but beyond that, these names for your girls look great together and just make us want to smile. The name Kylie is a transplant from Australia and it means "boomerang" and "straight." Miley gained popularity from the teenage (now adult) star whose parents nicknamed her "Smiley," as a always-smiling baby. They dropped the "s" and the name Miley stuck.
Elijah & Isaiah
This is another set of biblical-based names for your twin sons, and they rhyme so well in the best of ways. Elijah was a prophet known for defending the worship of God. Good nicknames for him could be Eli or Lij. While Isaiah, who also a prophet and means “God is salvation,” could be called Iz, Izo, or Isa for short.
Amanda & Miranda
These names for twin girls are so similar in many ways. Their nicknames could both be “Mandy.” They’re also both popular names with similar meanings, which could be perfect ways to describe how you feel about your daughters. Amanda means “worthy of love,” and Miranda means “worthy of admiration.”
Bellamy & Brynley
Bellamy is of French, English, and Irish origins and means “fine friend.” It’s also a name used for boys and means “handsome friend.” For a girl twin, Bellamy would be cute with a super-feminine middle name like Rose. Brynley doesn’t have the best meaning ("burned wood”), but it sounds nice and could also be paired with a middle name like Olivia.
Seven & Sutton
Seven is a modern name that can be used for a boy or girl. It’s the name of the now 22-year-old son of singer Erykah Badu and musician Andre Benjamin. David and Victoria Beckham named their daughter Harper Seven. Sutton has more traditional origins with the name meaning “southern settlement or farm.” These names are such a cool combination, bring on the twins!
