The Crib: A Blog for New Parents

As if coming up with a name for the first baby isn’t hard enough, how hard is it to name multiples and subsequent children?

That depends on how important it is that your children don’t hate you one day because of their names.

It is popular to choose a babies name because of meaning; many parents want their child’s name to invoke some trait or impression upon the child’s personality. When naming multiple babies, it can be hard to come up with names for each child that have equal power. You probably don’t want one of the babies to grow up and feel inferior to his or her siblings because their name traits.

Try to imagine twin boys with the names Donald, which means “ruler of the world”, and his brother Doherty, which means “one who is harmful”. As these brothers grow up, their name meanings might affect more than just their personalities. Names impact how we feel about ourselves, and how others think of us. For Donald and Doherty, the implications could be severe.

On the other hand, you might want to avoid giving multiples or siblings’ names with the same meaning, as that could hinder their sense of individuality. Imagine how hard it would be for 3 sisters, Alayna - "Beautiful", Belinda - "Very beautiful, and Calissa - "Most beautiful". Each of these girls might grow to resent not having a unique meaning for her name, or that she is more or less than her sisters.

Another thing to consider when naming more than one child is that the names will be used together. Moreover, often they will be shouted loudly, for the whole neighborhood to hear. It might be a bad idea to give your kids names that should never be used together in a sentence. For example, I wouldn’t want to call my kids in for dinner by shouting out the front door, “Ben, Dover, Anagevin”. Even introducing my kids to new friends might be awkward and garner some funny looks.

Naming your first baby should be done carefully, especially if you plan on having more.