What is your favorite sibset and how did you chose it?
[name_f]Do[/name_f] you have any “rules” when pairing sibling names?
Some background on why I'm asking that's a bit rambley
I’ve been wondering recently what makes a good sibset? Of course if you love the names and they aren’t super similar I think they could always work… but what are the things that other berries are really thinking about when they see or create a pairing?
I read a thread where someone was considering [name_f]Ava[/name_f] and [name_f]Aria[/name_f] for twins. Here: Baby girl Twins
While I was thinking about [name_f]Ava[/name_f] and [name_f]Ivy[/name_f] for sisters. Here: Poll - Rate the sibsets!
For me, [name_f]Ava[/name_f] and [name_f]Aria[/name_f] are too similar, but [name_f]Ava[/name_f] and [name_f]Ivy[/name_f] seem very distinct.
I chose it mostly based on sounds I liked. I was also looking for names that had v’s in them for some reason. I like shorter names and natural vibe names.
Here are my very flexible “rules” or preferences in order of importance more or less.
Similar style (this one can be very subjective)
Different beginning sound
Key sounds aren’t repeated
Different ending sound
Different initials
Similar popularity, mostly for twins who will be in the same classes, etc
Similar number of syllables/letters
Personally I think the repeated v sound in [name_f]Ivy[/name_f] and [name_f]Ava[/name_f] is fine, but Waverly and Ava are too close.
[name_f]My[/name_f] favourite sibset right now is [name_f]Josepha[/name_f] [name_f]Ermentrude[/name_f] & [name_f]Amalie[/name_f] [name_f]Brunhilda[/name_f], they don’t fit all of my requirements but I’m going to explain this later.
To me the perfect sibling names have:
Same style
Same origin
Similar lengths
Same popularity levels
Different initials
If one has royal namesakes the other should too
If one of them is a feminisation other should be too
[name_f]Josepha[/name_f] & [name_f]Amalie[/name_f] breaks two rules: Origins and not both are feminisations. But I accept them because:
[name_f]Josepha[/name_f] is a variant of [name_m]Joseph[/name_m] and [name_f]Amalie[/name_f] is a variant of [name_f]Amalia[/name_f]/Amelia so both are variants of another name, although not feminisations.
[name_f]Josepha[/name_f] is a [name_m]German[/name_m] feminine form of [name_m]Joseph[/name_m] so I guess it can be counted as [name_m]German[/name_m] too? I normally don’t, but can’t find an alternative haha
I’m really picky about length matching in my potential sibsets. I’m trying to get over it, because I know my very-favorites don’t match length-wise. For example, I like [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] and [name_u]Benjamin[/name_u] as siblings but even [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] and [name_u]James[/name_u] seems mismatched, when style-wise they work fine. It’s the same with middle names- I like them to feel balanced.
I also don’t like repeated first name initials unless everybody shares an initial (though I think I’d be okay if twins shared an initial that nobody else had).
I think my favorite sibset of my names would be [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], [name_u]Benjamin[/name_u], [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m], and [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f]. I have middle names for all of them but I don’t like the middle names together because they feel mismatched If I were to use shorter names, the sibset would be [name_f]Sadie[/name_f], [name_u]Elias[/name_u], and [name_u]James[/name_u].
[name_u]Love[/name_u] them all, but kinda afraid that [name_f]Anna[/name_f] doesn’t really match. [name_f]Beatrice[/name_f] goes well with [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] and [name_f]Margaret[/name_f], but [name_f]Anna[/name_f] doesn’t match with the quirky-vintage-some-might-see-as-ugly-ness of [name_f]Winifred[/name_f] and [name_f]Maud[/name_f]. But overall, they match enough that I think it would work in real life.
I know a sibset personally: [name_u]Mikko[/name_u], [name_f]Sybil[/name_f], [name_u]Blair[/name_u], and [name_u]Declan[/name_u]. I’ve always thought that that was just perfect. They go together stylistically without being “matchy.” It’s probably my all-time favorite— but I know an [name_m]Adrian[/name_m], [name_f]Elsie[/name_f], and [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u] which I love.
Also, [name_u]Kendall[/name_u] and [name_u]Christian[/name_u] (both boys) and [name_f]Julia[/name_f], [name_u]Morgan[/name_u], and [name_m]Cassius[/name_m] ([name_m]Cash[/name_m]).
I think this is mostly subjective because what appeals to us may really not inspire another.
I don’t really like names that are too similar or same Letter ( unless they are distinct from one another) so like you say, aria and [name_f]Ava[/name_f] are too close for my liking too. But [name_f]Ava[/name_f] and [name_f]Angelica[/name_f] for instance are not. In this case your similarity would be the heavy V sound in. [name_f]Ava[/name_f] and [name_f]Ivy[/name_f]. I also feel like [name_f]Ava[/name_f] and [name_f]Ivy[/name_f] are both vintage sounding so to me that makes a great sister pair.
I love sibsets to have a similarity but not replicate in assonance. I always find good sibsets have perhaps a theme or from the same era/style. I think that’s what makes a great sibset for me. For instance, you wouldn’t pair [name_f]Kayleigh[/name_f] with a [name_f]Vivienne[/name_f] or a [name_m]Jeremiah[/name_m] with an [name_u]Arlo[/name_u] ( just my opinion) stylistically they don’t match.
When I named my boys I wanted something timeless and classic but distinct from one another. [name_f]My[/name_f] subtle theme is I have an A and a Z so the first and last letters of the alphabet. Both names are modern/biblical. Therefore, I think from all the names I came up with, ultimately it was the biblical boys/girls names which sounded best with my other boys names.
It fun to hear about what others are thinking about even though I know this is a very subjective thing.
@EagleEyes Wow I would totally think [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] and [name_u]James[/name_u] were a great pair, but you’re right they are quite different in length. Oh dear, I don’t think I will ever attempt to match middle names haha I’m just not that dedicated (or skilled).
@new.romantic [name_f]Lovely[/name_f] sibset! Oh yes, I see what you mean about [name_f]Anna[/name_f] when you explain it but I totally didn’t notice it before that.
@EllieWilbury Oo real life sibsets! Their parents must have a great sense of style!
@may.rose [name_f]Anya[/name_f] and [name_f]Rose[/name_f] are so pretty together
@anon25197097 Yes, this is so subjective! It’s really fun to hear about what others have in mind even if it’s not really inspiring me to change my own preferences most of the time. It’s funny that you mention [name_m]Jeremiah[/name_m] and [name_u]Arlo[/name_u] not matching because they seem so similar style-wise. Both are old fashioned, southern (US) sort of sounding names to me anyway. Very cool to have a subtle theme with your boys’ names, such a cute connection for them. The reason I was originally looking at names with V in them is because my husband is an IV, then I just really started liking them!
I agree with all of the rules mentioned, especially the length of names (both typed, handwritten, and number of letters lol).
Another rule for me is similar eras - it really bugs me when there is a traditional name paired alongside a more modern name for some extreme examples: [name_m]Winston[/name_m] and [name_u]Blaise[/name_u] or [name_f]Claudia[/name_f] and [name_u]Rue[/name_u].
I also have a thing about pairing unisex names with very gendered names. I feel like unisex names work best only when the other sibset names are also unisex or more of that vibe. For example, I know a sibset that is [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] ([name_u]Charlie[/name_u]), [name_u]Benjamin[/name_u] ([name_m]Ben[/name_m]) and [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] ([name_f]Lizzy[/name_f]). [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] is always assumed to be a boy because of her siblings names in contrast whereas I know another sibset [name_u]Quinn[/name_u] (g), [name_u]Parker[/name_u] (g) and [name_u]Avery[/name_u] (g) that uses all unisex names and it makes far more sense. [name_m]Just[/name_m] not into a [name_u]Emerson[/name_u] (g) with a [name_m]Theodore[/name_m] (b) vibe.
To me, the perfect sibling names set each other off. I like enough similarity that they belong together (sounds or styles, usually), but enough contrast so that each name is distinct. Like how a great slaw makes a burger so much better, you know?
One of my all-time favorite real-life sibsets is brothers [name_f]Josi[/name_f]@h, D@nte, and Lorenz0. The oldest brother seems a bit the odd man out stylistically, but he shares sounds with the youngest, and the names play off each other so beautifully, it makes me very happy. (Then it just about broke my heart when I found out they spelled the oldest’s name J@ciyah. Doesn’t work as well, imo.)
Twin names [name_u]Evan[/name_u] and [name_m]Ethan[/name_m], also real life, don’t cut it for me. They blend together instead of setting each other off.
When I came to name my sons, I wanted the names to go together, yes, but it was more important that we were using good names that we loved. They won’t always be known as a sibset. We have [name_m]Ransom[/name_m] and [name_m]Tobias[/name_m]. As far as how they match, I like the shared number of letters (though that was unintentional) and the shared S. Now that we’re expecting #3, I’m giving more thought to how the sibset “goes” than I did naming [name_m]Tobias[/name_m]–especially since, in my opinion, parents often really show their hand with a third child. [name_m]Will[/name_m] there be a theme? An emerging style?
I’m back to say I always wait for the name announcement with bated breath when one friend of mine has another baby. She and her husband have T@nya, €rnst, J@mes @tticus, Konr@d, Phoeb€, Felicit¥, and Anastasi@. (They seem to use the fn and mn interchangeably for James, so I always think of him as a double-barrel.)
She was disappointed early on in her name journey by negative reactions to €rnst’s name. I tried to comfort her by saying she was just a bit ahead of her time; the sounds aren’t fashionable right now, but it seems to me Ernest is almost ripe for revival, so maybe in a few years it’ll be cool. Phoeb€ and Felicit¥ are a bit close for me sound-wise. Otherwise, I really enjoy the set; it’s unexpected but it works.
(They’re also the type to pick the name early; she always has a personalized outfit ready with the baby’s name on it. So cute.)
I believe choosing a sibset is very personal - the criteria are different for everyone. I tend to consider the names’ style, how they sound together and how they look when I write them.
Types of style: classic, vintage, modern, literary, international, nature, language roots (ex: Germanic, Hebrew, Greek, Latin)
If I were to use shorter names, the sibset would be [name_f]Sadie[/name_f], [name_u]Elias[/name_u], and [name_u]James[/name_u].
Oh yes, I see what you mean about [name_f]Anna[/name_f] when you explain it but I totally didn’t notice it before that.
Very cool to have a subtle theme with your boys’ names, such a cute connection for them. The reason I was originally looking at names with V in them is because my husband is an IV, then I just really started liking them! 