Giving a baby a name is not the easiest thing to new parents and being exposed to the well-intentioned but not so helpful input of others is one of the many aspects that make the whole process really stressful.
This of course applies doubly to Naming twins.
Everyone has an opinion about how fitting, memorable or cutting edge twin names should be, but outside opinions are rarely what parents need—especially when they didn’t ask for them. Imagine finally having not one, but two perfect nicknames to represent the two people you’re supposedly bringing into the world for your entire life, and someone completely ruins the parade. That doesn’t sound like happiness for new parents.
For this reason, one couple decided to create a list of fake twin names to share with anyone curious.
Taking to the r/namenerds subreddit, the pair shared that Tom and Jerry, Ben and Holly, Charlie and Lola, and Ant and Dec had already been noted, and asked people to share their own ideas.
The answers were not disappointing.
Among the celebrity names, Mary-Kate and Ashley were suggested most often, followed by Taylor and Travis, Lucy and Desi, Cheech and Chong, Penn and Teller.
Then there were music-inspired choices like Tu and Pac, Wayne and Garth, Sonny and Cher, Ike and Tina, and Pink and Floyd.
Plus some names based on historical figures, like Antony and Cleopatra and Bonnie and Clyde.
Twin names inspired by children’s shows included Snoopy and Woodstock, Zack and Cody, Phineas and Ferb, Anna and Elsa, He-Man and She-Ra, Bluey and Bingo, Fred and Barney, Burt and Ernie. There were even a few video game references with Mario and Luigi and Link and Zelda. And of course, Ken and Barbie.
There were quite a few names based on literary icons. Be it authors like Nora and Robert, Lewis and Carol, Agatha and Christie, Stephen and Kingsley, Jane and Austen, James & Joyce and William and Blake. Or characters like Hansel and Gretel, Jack and Jill, Cinderella and the (fairy-tale) Prince, Thor and Loki, Nancy & Drew and Romeo and Juliet. For the last one, it was suggested to “feign total ignorance that they are not related” for extra comic effect.
Next category: Movie/TV show inspired names, including Wednesday and Pugsley, Ross and Monica, Bart and Lisa, Cersei and Jaime (yuck!), and Luke and Leia.
“I honestly don’t think anyone would be shocked if I suggested Luke and Leia 🤣 That’s definitely at the top of the list,” the OP commented.
And from there, things got absurd with suggestions like “Easy-Peasy and Lemon-Squeezy,” “Copy and Paste,” “Dayquil and Nyquil,” “Gin & Tonic,” “Merlot & Chardonnay,” “Beavis and Butthead” (especially when it came to twin girls).
A final honorable mention goes to the person who said: “My partner and I always joke that after this we would tell everyone they were Yanni & Laurel Internet: “They sound the same” that was going around in 2020.”
Ultimately, naming twins requires the same considerations as any other baby name, namely the meaning their name might have in the real world after infancy. Then there’s the added challenge of choosing between complete individuality or acknowledging the unique sibling bond. Neither choice is necessarily better or worse than the other.
Regardless, this couple has plenty of fun fake names to add to their decoy list. Mission accomplished.
