Anonymous wrote:Not the OP, but same question: I have a Maria. I'm pg and, if it's a boy, I would love to use Markus. DH thinks it's fine, but I'm worried it's too close. Thoughts?

It's too close. I'm the one who who has matching first initials with a sibling. We have always hated it. I can't strongly enough recommend against it. We hated it as kids. Friends, cousins, teachers, neighbors, everyone would ask why our mother did that. We dislike it as adults as well. Please do not do this to your children. My brother and I get along very well, but we both really hate the matching names.

Not the OP, but same question: I have a Maria. I'm pg and, if it's a boy, I would love to use Markus. DH thinks it's fine, but I'm worried it's too close. Thoughts?

I think Michael & Michelle would be a no, Caroline & Carson or the like yes.

Same starting sound or letter is fine. Rhyming names or names that have the same root are not good. All your pair examples could be fine, each name is still a unique name that won't be confused. Yell both names up the stairs a few times, listen to how they sound together out loud. Being a sibling is only a small part of who an individual is, give them the names you love.

My brother and I have matching names like that. Plus we had a pet growing up that also started with the same initial. We hated being so cutesy as kids, and now, as adults who happen to live in the same city as each other, having the same initials still is a problem. It's STILL too cutesy, and we STILL receive each other's mail sometimes.

Please do not do this. Please search for a different name.

We loved the names Natalia and Nathaniel, but axed that right away.

It really depends on the names. I know someone with three kids that all have the letters CAL/CHAL in their names and a similar sound, and I think it's too much.

Anonymous wrote:Agree that as long as they aren't versions of the same name (Nathan/Natalie, Michelle etc) it 's fine!

Meant Michael and Michelle !

Agree that as long as they aren't versions of the same name (Nathan/Natalie, Michelle etc) it 's fine!

DH and I love Charlie and Charlotte, but We both think they are too close so we'll forgoe on or the other. I think a lot depends on the names and how they are spelled and pronounced. I'm sure whatever you do will work!

I used to nanny for siblings with trendy, weirdly spelt names that both began with "Mak-". Don't think you can do anything worse than that. I think your situation seems fine, OP

This the OP. Just to be clear, the pairs above are not the names. They are examples because I don't want to post the actual names.

Thanks for the responses so far!

I dislike the names Kayla and Michelle, but I actually really like the three pairs.

I have twins that have names that are thematically matching, but don't sounds too much alike. I love the way they match.

Those pairs are a little matchy, but not terrible. If it was the feminine version of the same name, I'd say no, but the worst thing that will happen is that a few people will think you were being overly cutesy. If both names are, on their own, normal, then go with the name you like. Keep in mind, of course, that you might think of another name before the baby's born!

choose a name you love.

(IMO, though, Kayla is a very dated name - Michelle/Dana are a little more "timeless" if that makes sense)

congrats!

I have a 2 year old son and am expecting a little girl this summer. The only girl name that DH and I love is pretty similar to our DS's name. Otherwise, we're drawing a blank. For example, it is something like these pairs:

Carl
Kayla

Daniel
Dana

Micah
Michelle

Is that so awful? Should we just choose another name that we don't love?