Shea needs our help naming her sweet daughters due any day now!
I have been reading your blog often to find help with names for my twin girls (due in October) and just discovered that you gave free name consultations. I think your blog is wonderful! I have a 3 yr old named Luke Anderson (goes by Luke). I am a huge fan of last names first, but it seems that two girls with last names first is too much-so I will probably only let one girl have a last name first. We do not have great family names as options, and my husband does not want all three kids to begin with “L” (even though I love lots of girl “L” names like Laurel, Lyndie, Lainey, etc). I also want their first names to be what they go by, as I have hated being called by my first name even though I go by my middle name. Also, our last name is 2 syllables, starts with G and ends in -er. Here are my name suggestions that I like, but am not at all sold on.
“Claire” Emerson
and
“Ellis” Catherine (paired a boyish name with a very feminine name)
Ellis is not your typical girl name, but I can see it working. I’ve tried it out on a couple of people hoping they wouldn’t think I was saying “Alice” and none of them did. Is Ellis too weird? She could go by Ellie, Elle, or just Ellis. I have always liked Elise, but we have known quite a few lately, so that is no longer an option. I feel like we need better selections of 3-syllable names. Your help would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Shea! I’m so excited about the birth of your impending twins. I bet you are too. :-)
When considering naming twins, you first have to think about how you’re going to raise the twins. There are a lot of studies out now that say that twins need to be raised as individuals rather than as a set (no matching outfits, etc), and how you name them is a very clear indication to the world on your stance. Are they indentical or fraternal? If they are identical, it may be all the more important to preserve their individuality in their names.
So while I think Ellis and Emerson are really sweet together, the two Es do lean slightly matchy. As for your question if Emerson is too masculine, she would have no trouble adopting the nickname Emmie should she so choose. Likewise Ellis could go by Ellie. But then you have Ellie and Emmie. Way too matchy! Yikes. There’s a lot to think about here, I don’t envy you (well, maybe I do a little). Here’s a picture of a very feminine Emerson, just to get a visual. It works well for her.
Claire and Ellis on the other hand are so very different in tone. Claire is very simple and classic, where as Ellis still has a surprise factor. Claire and Elle, Claire and Ellie, or Claire and Ella jive together better in style.
I hear you talk a lot about your love for Ellis, but what about Claire? Do you truly love it, or is it a compromise choice?
If you go with Claire Emerson and Ellis, here are some middle name suggestions:
Camilla
Caroline
Cassandra
Charlotte
Claudia
Clemency
Clementine
Cordelia
Corinna
Christabel
Alternatives to Ellis or Emerson if you wanted to have to androgynous names but without 2 Es:
Adair
Bellamy
Connolly
Flannery
Greer
Hollis
Lowry
Romilly
Rowan
Rowley
Dear Readers, what do you think about twins’ names? Should they go in style without being matchy? Which of these pairings do you like best?
Image above: Full House
{ 35 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m partial to claire and elle, but that may be because we have an elle and are considering claire for our next. I think claire and cordelia would be lovely together (if a bit matchy) especially with strong middles such as emerson and romilly. I’d worry that with giving one girl a feminine first name and the other a more unisex one that you’d unintentionally set the stage for one to feel she’s not feminine compared to her sister, or the other to feel that her name isn’t unique enough.
I think it would definitely be awkward to give one girl a boys’ name and the other a feminine name. While they should certainly have separate personalities (no matching!), their names should fall on the same wave-length. Additionally, I think both names should mesh well with Luke.
If you really love using surnames as first names, then you either need 2 surnames or to make sure the “regular” name has the same feel, especially in reference to gender, as the chosen surname.
As far as Ellis goes – that really is traditionally a boy name and I have to admit hating the use of boy names on girls. Not because it’s wrong to name a girl a boy name, but because there are so few good boy names left that haven’t been stolen for use on girls.
Are there any other names you like? It kind of sounds as if these are the names you’ve settled on and you’re simply looking for validation.
I really dislike surnames and masculine names on girls. It’s inconvenient for the girl to be mistaken. (I say this as someone who grew up Lindsey in the 80s… it’s STILL a masculine name/surname to a lot of people, and I really dislike that.)
I’d go with Claire and Catherine- that would be gorgeous. I wouldn’t use Ellis or Emerson at all unless they’re family names, and then I’d put them in the middle.
I also agree with not giving one a much more feminine name than the other. While they certainly don’t have to match as neatly as Claire and Catherine, I think it’s nice for siblings to come from the same “name family”.
I agree with pretty much everything millymom619 said. While it’s better to avoid matchy names for twins, I also think the names should be relatively within the same style – as to avoid very different sibsets like Elizabeth and Neveaeh, or Jane and Athénaïs.
Considering you already have a very classically named son, it would be strange if you chose one or two trendy names for your daughters. Luke, Claire, and (girl)Ellis – I’m afraid the third name sticks out like a sore thumb. Also, these types of surnames-as-first-names date very easily (no wonder people aren’t naming their daughters Ashley, Beverly, or Courtney anymore). Surely a Ellis would regret having a “2000′s name” while her twin had the timeless, ageless Claire.
A nice compromise would be to follow the pattern and use the surnames as middle names – Luke Anderson, Claire Emerson, and (say) Catherine Ellis.
Some alternatives to Ellis:
Eloise!!
Eliane
Eleanor
Esmée
Emer (sort to fits into the androgynous style you like)
Alis or Alix
Annis
Charis
Iris
Luke, Claire and -
Wren
Georgia
Frances
Maud (Molly)
Ruby
Sol
Zoë
Ava
Olivia
Madeline
Anna
Flora
Noëlle
Rosalie
Amelia
Or maybe use a feminine name with a boyish nickname – Catherine “Kit”, Josephine “Joey”, Louisa “Lou”, Theodora “Teddy”, etc.
How exciting to be having two girls.
If I were to have twins, I’d totally dress them in matching clothes, on occasion. I’d pass on the extra matchy names – like Ella & Emma – but I would try to name them from the same ‘style category’.
If I saw Claire and Ellis on paper, I’d presume they were girl-boy twins, not two girls. I’d also wonder if Claire would feel like she had to be ‘more girly’ than her sister and Ellis would feel she had to be more of a tomboy. Or it might work out that Claire ends up wishing she had a more unisex name or vice versa.
You say that you really like last names first, so I’d go with two names in that style. I don’t think it would be ‘too much’. I think it would make more sense to name both girls in the same style. I know I’d do that for non-twin sisters and style difference is even more obvious for twins. I like Bellamy and Romilly best from the list above. Or are there any last names from your family tree that would work?
I might be in the minority on this one but I actually prefer Ellis on a girl…I find it too fem for a boy, I suppose. Plus, I think it adds a little fresh factor to the overdone Ella/Ellie names.
And I think Claire (while definitely a female name) is simple and streamlined enough to be matched with Ellis.
That being said, I’m not wild about Emerson unless it’s a family name. In addition, I think surnames in the middle name spot (as that spot is so often reserved for family names) that aren’t family names can be a little silly/pretentious. And I don’t like “son” names on girls.
So, I like Claire and Ellis just fine for first names. And Ellis Catherine is lovely – although I’m hoping it’s a family name. And if one has a family mn, I think the other should as well.
Additional suggestions that you might pair with Ellis that are a tad more similar in style (some surnames and some that are simply unisex):
Ellis and Sheridan
Ellis and Clancy
Ellis and Romilly (nn Romy or Milly)
Ellis and Merrill
Ellis and Hadley
Ellis and Tierney
Ellis and Quinn
Ellis and Blair
Ellis and Dorian
Ellis and Finley
Ellis and Delaney
Ellis and Britton (nn Britt?)
Ellis and Adair
Ellis and Greer/Grier
Ellis and Darby
Ellis and Darcy
Ellis and Kendall
Or, some non-surnamey/non-frilly feminine names that you might like to pair with Claire:
Claire and Maren
Claire and Marnie
Claire and Marlo
Claire and Danica (nn Dani)
Claire and Whitney
Claire and Paige
Claire and Wynne
Claire and Brynn
Claire and Ashby
Claire and Delaney
Claire and Darcy
Claire and Shelby
Claire and Brooke
Claire and Tory
Last thought – I agree with DH that twins (and even the entire sibset) should have unique first initials.
I love Claire and Paige together! Totally individual for twins, but they match so well.
Instead of Ellis, how about Elise (ah-LEESE). Feminine and pretty!
What about Alice Catherine and Claire Eloise?
What about Emerie (Emory)? It is a unisex name but the Emerie spelling is more feminine looking.
Ellis and Emerie sound adorable together!
I also think that you should use two of the same names because one of the girls may feel left out. Either two very feminine names or two surnames. I love surname first names personally. Here are a few more for Ellis…
Ellis and Arden
Ellis and Darby
Ellis and Hollis (what about Ellery and Hollis?)
Ellis and Harper
Ellis and Piper
Ellis and Ainsley
Ellis and Arley
Ellis and Everly
Ellis and Hadley
Ellis and Hartley
Ellis and Kinsey
Ellis and Mackinney
Ellis and Mallory
Ellis and Oakley
Ellis and Presley
Ellis and Rowan
Ellis and Shea
Ellis and Tierney
Ellis and Whitney
How about Claire and Emberly?
I definitely wouldn’t give one twin a feminine name and the other a boyish surname. Your son has a fine classic name. I would choose similar names for the twins. I love Claire and Catherine together — gorgeous! Yes, they both begin with C, but the names end differently and are of different lengths and number of syllables (unlike, for example, Clara and Cora or Catherine and Christine). If you want even more individuality in their names, you could choose middle names beginning with different letters and maybe of differing styles too. Would their grandmothers’ names — first or middle — work for their middle names? That could be very special.
Other suggestions:
Claire and Jane (Jane Catherine)
Claire and Anna (Anna Catherine)
Claire and Alice (Alice Catherine)
Claire and Grace (Grace Catherine)
Each of these combinations coordinates well with Luke too.
Twins are special! They’re individuals, but they’re also *twins*, not just siblings who happened to be born the same day. I wouldn’t worry about them being too much alike: they’ll form their own likes and dislikes. I have 7-year-old fraternal twin grandsons James and Andrew (middle names for maternal grandfather and father) who were dressed alike quite a lot before school age, but have always been distinct individuals with different interests, yet are very close and have a special bond as former ‘womb-mates’.
You’re very lucky to be having twins. Best wishes!
I reread your letter and see that you’re looking for 3-syllable names — I’m assuming for a middle name. If you can go one more syllable, how about Elizabeth with Claire? Elizabeth and Catherine would be a great pair of middle names.
Claire Elizabeth and Alice Catherine
Claire Elizabeth and Jane Catherine
Luke, Claire and Jane
I think you may like some of the names in this post, which includes Claire and other classy, short names for girls:
http://youcantcallitit.com/2008/05/19/little-black-dress/
Claire and Eliza
Claire and Eloise
Claire and Esme
Claire and Hazel
Claire and Ivy
Ellis and Hudson
Ellis and Paige
Ellis and Finley
Ellis and Piper
Three syllable names:
Caroline
Eliza
Eloise
Camilla
Sofia
Natalie
Josephine
Livia
Congrats! Twins are exciting-so much to look forward to! I will put my vote in for Ellis-I have known an older man named Ellis(70+) and he even suggested his name for our first child-whether boy or girl, so there’s an endorsement, if ever! It has been both surname and first name for a while. I think it pairs well with Claire and Luke. And I do like the EC/CE style you are considering.
If you aren’t as crazy for Claire, consider Camille. Camille, Ellis & Luke-all use an L sound, but differently.
I think it would be a bit mismatched to give one girl and uber feminine traditional name, and the other a modern masculine/unisex name. I think you would actually be better off using two surnames. Bellamy and Flannery I think would go great together.
Instead of Ellis, you might like Eleri, which has a masculine/surname vibe, but is actually a legitimate Welsh female name, and I also think it goes nicely with Claire.
Hi Shea,
As a fraternal twin (two girls) myself, I thought I’d chime in with my two cents.
My sister and I have very different names. My mother never dressed us the same, although many people bought us coordinating or matching outfits to be cute. We have completely different personalities, different friends, went to different colleges, and have different professions.
However, for every moment of my life that I can remember I have always identified myself first and foremost as a twin. It’s just who I am. We both feel the same way. So please do encourage them to be individuals, but don’t be discouraged if they turn out preferring to be identified as a unit.
As for your names, one thing to remember with twins is that, more so than sibs, the two names are often said as a pair. So the order is important. If you like the sound of Catherine and Emerson, but not Emerson and Catherine be sure to name the older one Catherine because that’s how everyone will say it. I’m older and the only people who ever say my sister’s name first are people who knew her before they knew me.
My only argument against matchy names is that it’s more confusing for other people. Even though we are fraternal twins who look nothing alike, people always messed up our names when we were little because they just couldn’t remember which one was which. If we had matching names (Claire and Catherine) it would have been harder.
That said, as a twin, you just get used to responding to your sister’s name no matter what. I’m never offended. Even as adults people get confused. Heck, my own father still gets confused on the phone or if our backs are turned. You learn not to take it to heart!
Hope this helped,
Dawn
I am not loving your name set. I couldf not give twins super matchy names, but they really flow better if they are stylistically similar. Personally I would even avoid giving them the same eact initials.
I think millymom (way at the top^^) said it well.
Just to say; I absolutely love Luke Anderson. So handsome, masculine and wholesome!
There are SO many little Ellies and Ellas right now in the preschool set, so you may want to avoid Ellis for that reason alone. Since you mentioned liking Lainey, I think Claire and Laine might be a nice twinset. Or would you consider Clara and Elena, or some other variation? Not a complete match stylistically but they flow well together.
I think Ellis is super cute!
What about Ellis and Avery? Both surnames, but with feminine undertones. Plus, they sound nice together.
Just my two-cents.
ooh. i love ellis and avery. they sound great together and seem to just fit.
That’s my favorite suggestion so far! It seems to fit her style perfectly and the names don’t match at all but seems made to be said together! Ellis and Avery, so cute!
For the record, I don’t find Ellis masculine at all and I’d be quite surprised to hear of a baby boy Ellis. I think it’s really cute for a girl actually and I’m not a big surname-as-first-for-a-girl fan. Oh! And Bellamy is amazing! I love Avery and Bellamy.
I don’t personally like last names first on girls. but that is my favorite suffestion thus far.
I actually know a boy Ellis, and yet, I can imagine Ellis on a girl without too much difficulty. We’ve considered Ellery, a family name on my dad’s side, for both a son and a daughter.
I do think I’d hear Luke, Claire, and Alice – it seems more expected.
But I’d be more concerned that Claire was frustrated by her lovely-but-common name and jealous of Ellis’ distinctive name.
You could also consider naming her Catherine Ellis and calling her Ellis. And I’ll admit, I like the idea of Luke, Claire, and Cate as a sibset …
Best wishes!
Good idea Claire and Cate! Claire Emerson And Catherine Ellis would be more balanced and give each girl a surname middle name like their brother — and the option of using those middle names as their names later on if they want to do so (eg., Laura Jeanne REESE Witherspoon). Claire and Cate are excellent together, perfect for twins.
As for the names being confused because they begin with the same letter, that happens with twins anyway. It took James and Andrew’s kindergarten teacher 2 weeks to get their names right consistently — and that was with twins who don’t look that much alike and with names beginning with different letters.
ooo I like Claire and Cate. Even if They would have matching initials…
Someone above suggested Elise instead of Ellis. I really like that idea- not only are the names in a more cohesive style, but they also get beautiful song references (Claire de Lune and Fur Elise).
I love the name Cadence.
Congratulations on your twin girls!
The names you are considering are lovely. Unisex/surname names on girls really aren’t my style at all, but these are YOUR girls. I had my first son at the beginning of the year, and I gave him a name that was probably my friends’ and family’s least favorite of those on my list, but it fit my style and it was the name I loved best and I’m glad I did it. If surnames first are really your style, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with using them for both girls. It’s not “too much.” It’s actually a great way of creating a cohesive pair without being too matchy.
I understand a little of what you mean by not wanting it to be “too much.” I called my son Julius, and if he had had a twin, I don’t think I could have gone with something like Augustus or Hadrian.
But I certainly would have picked another old-fashioned name (Frederick or Theodore) because that’s my style. I wouldn’t have felt obligated to choose a more modern-sounding name (like Tyler or Aidan) to keep it from being “too much.” I think with surnames you wouldn’t want to choose any with an obvious historical connection (e.g., Kennedy and Reagan), but something along the lines of Ellis and Avery or Ellis and Greer would be just fine!
That being said, if you really do love Claire, there’s probably nothing wrong with calling your girls Claire and Ellis. In the name enthusiast community, we talk a lot about wanting to find names that complement each other or fit the same naming style. But I’m not sure it’s really that big of a deal to other people. I asked my husband last night what he thought of the pairing. Our conversation went something like this:
Me: “If someone is having twin girls, do you think it’s weird to give one of them a really feminine name and the other one a tomboyish surname?”
Him: “No. Why would that be weird?”
Me: “But what if the one with the feminine name turns out to be a tomboy and the one with the surname turns out to be the girly one? Then wouldn’t that be weird?”
Him: “No.”
So there you have it. Name them what you want, with my blessing. I don’t think you’ll go wrong with any of the names you’re considering or any of the names that have been suggested.
My personal favorite pairings (not that it should matter to you):
Ellis and Piper (but this clashes with your last name)
Ellis and Greer (maybe this does, too)
Ellis and Romilly
Claire and Eve/Eva*
Claire and Paige
*I really like how Luke, Claire, and Eve are all traditional one-syllable names. Then you could give them all surname middles.
Ooh, I forgot to mention that I really like Ellis and Quinn. I think that pairing might be my favorite of all the suggestions.
I found this post because I, too, am considering naming my baby girl Ellis. I love surnames as last names and have been desparately trying to come up with a name that is unique, with a feminine quality. Right now, my favorites are Collins, Ellis and Emery. I agree with pairing the surname with something girly to set it apart.
I am considering using the middle name Marie or Christine to honor family memebers.
I love your original name choices of Claire Emerson and Ellis Catherine. They are ALL names I have seriously considered for my own daughter due in January. Best wishes naming your little ones!
Whitney
Congrats on pending twins! I have a four month old girl named Ellis Katherine. Our last name is four letters, one syllable. We call her Ellie, El Bel, etc. I love the pairing of Ellis and Claire for twins. Ellis was our boy name, but I was secretly hoping to have a girl because I like it better as a girl’s name.
I like Elsa. I do think that twin names should noever rhyme, but sibling names do need to go together. Luke, Claire and Ellis don’t. Luke, Claire, and Ella would be ok.
If I get pregnant for twin girls I would name them harmony and harmona because they remind me of beautiful songs and ease my bad memories!That is why i like the name ‘Harmony and Harmona’!