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Are Matching Twin Names Too Cheesy?
Filed under: Baby Names, Twins, Triplets, Multiples
How do you feel about anagram names? I am debating whether or not the names Celia and Alice would be okay for my twin girls. My husband says that this might be too cheesy, but I think that ryhming names are cheesy for twins, but anagram names are fine. Alice is a beloved family name, and I love the more modern name Celia. Is my husband right; are anagram names too much for twins?
Here's my rule for "theme" baby names: never, ever choose a name to fit a sibling theme if you wouldn't have chosen that name on its own.
Each child deserves a name that's whole in itself, and that was chosen with her parents' total enthusiasm. A little Tulip with big sisters Lily, Rose, Violet and Daisy has been shortchanged. Tulip comes across as just one more blossom in the bouquet, not an individual. The sibling set mattered more than her name. Worst of all, she'll always know that her parents considered her name fifth-best out of a very small pool.
But Alice and Celia? Ah, that's another story. Each of the names is traditional, stylish and complete. The link between them is subtle enough that not everyone will notice it. Neither name stands out more than the other, or demands to be said first. The names also sound different enough that nobody is likely to mix them up. In short, Alice and Celia just sound like sisters.
Since you've avoided all the many traps of "matching" names, you get to enjoy the advantages. The anagram can be like a secret sibling code. For identical twins in particular, I think it's a powerful symbol of the bond they share. Starting with the same ingredients, you produce two separate individuals -- unique, whole and beautiful.
So your twin names pass my test. Getting them past your husband, though, is up to you.
How did you choose sibling names? Share your experiences here. And if you have your own question to Ask the Name Lady, drop her a line!
Related: Trend Report: The Hottest Baby Names of 2010
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 4)
4-23-2010 @ 6:32AM
Ifrania said...Um - huh?? In what way are "Alice" and "Celia" so-called "matching" names? They're not even true anagrams (Alice spelled backwards produces "Ecila", not Celia). Even if they were, how many people would evn notice, and then seize upon the fact and be concerned about it? Sheesh, relax and use this name pair if you wish.
Reply
1-10-2011 @ 4:56PM
CAT said...Anagram doesn't mean "spelled backwards", it means ANY rearrangement that spells another word!!!
4-23-2010 @ 9:30AM
berg1928 said...I think you should look up the meaning of "anagram".
4-23-2010 @ 11:38AM
Derrel said...Before you open your mouth and show your stupidity...
look up "anagram" in the dictionary.
4-23-2010 @ 10:38AM
Dianne said...Anagrams are 2 different words that use the same letters. Palindromes are words that are spelled the same forwards and backwards.
4-23-2010 @ 9:09AM
Sandy said...An anagram is a word made by rearranging the letters of another word, in any order. A word or phrase that is the same forward and backward is a palindrome. Just so you know...
4-23-2010 @ 8:08PM
phil said.....Met a lady named Ruby, who had daughters: Emerald, Pearl, and Sapphire. Well...it takes all kinds..
4-23-2010 @ 11:02AM
Frank said...We always liked Frank and Knarf. That would make at least one of them real tough.
4-23-2010 @ 11:02AM
HG in MN said...An anagram is a type of word play, the result of rearranging the letters of a word or phrase to produce a new word or phrase, using all the original letters exactly once; e.g., orchestra = carthorse. - Wikipedia
4-23-2010 @ 11:08AM
SkyBlue said...Anagram means rearranging the letters to spell something else. Celia is an anagram of Alice (and vice versa). You're thinking of a palindrome, where a word or phrase reads the same forward and backward. Neither name is a palindorme of the other.
I agree with you. No one will notice the anagram.
4-23-2010 @ 11:14AM
tealgurl14 said...I think you are thinking of a palindrome.
4-23-2010 @ 12:15PM
likey321 said...that is true , and in my opinion if you are going to name a child , give it a name that actually makes sense, dont just name it a random name because it rhymes with the others twins name!
4-23-2010 @ 1:39PM
Belladonna said...I named my twin girls Lauren and Megan...no ryming, no "anagram". I picked a name and my husband picked a name. Seemed like a fare, reasonable thing to do. I just always like that then ended up being next to each other in the alphabet.
4-23-2010 @ 6:43AM
procksucks said...Ifrania... an anagram is not the simple reverse of a word - it is the rearrangement of all the letters in any order. I totally agree with the advice here. As a twin, I am so glad my parent's did not give us rhyming names, but a clever anagram would have been fine by me. Additionally, giving twins names that start with the same letter is obnoxious as far as I am concerned, so I doubly approve of the names Alice and Celia.
Reply
4-23-2010 @ 7:32AM
DAWN said...Did I miss something?
Reply
4-23-2010 @ 2:10PM
Barb said...lol besides the fact that 18 people actually know what an anagram is, AND feel the need to repeat it even though it's BEEN clarified, comment #14 set the train running in a whole new direction!
4-23-2010 @ 1:31PM
Lee said...I don't think those names are cheesy. Now...Colby and Monterey would be "cheesy"
Reply
4-23-2010 @ 8:15AM
LouF said...at least the names don't rhyme..that would be kind of lame.
Reply
4-23-2010 @ 10:42AM
Rosie said...Ifrania - Palindrome is the term that describes a word (or phrase) that spells the same word (or phrase) backwards and forwards. Examples include: madam, level, or radar, and the phrase 'A man, a plan, a canal, Panama'.
As for the initial question about the names for the twin girls, I totally like the names Alice and Celia.
Reply
4-23-2010 @ 9:51AM
Gina said...LOL, Ifrania..You just made a specticle of yourself...so glad somebody kindly explained anagrams to you....Next time you get bent over something you know nothing about...do yourself a favor and open mouth and insert foot! ha ha ha ha....!!!!!! Anyway, LOVE THE NAMES CELIA & ALICE!!!!!! I'm sure your daughters will LOVE them even more....and also LOVE their mother's clever originality and will inspire them to think outside the box!!!!!!
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