OP, are you here in the DC region? My guess is that the DCUM crowd will like Siobhan and Simone more than any of your other choices.

I have family in the Deep South, including a little girl named Payton spelled that way.

Paisley is beyond even the most unique upper-middle class DC name. I'm sure it's hurt your feelings, unfortunately you've stumbled upon a forum that will tell it to you really really really straight. Count me in the crowd that doesn't care for it at all. Close your eyes and imagine a 35yr old named Paisley. What is her life like? What is her career? I'd have trouble taking seriously a grown woman named Paisley. So sorry.

If you love Payton, I'd suggest Paige or even Piper.

I like both Lily and Lila. Not together though, they are far too similar. Lily and Lainey, possibly. Or Lillian and Lucia, they could be Lily and Lucy. Still cutsy, but not too similar-sounding.

I think that if you name them Lily and Lila, they won't know which one you're yelling for, when you're yelling for one of them from the other end of the house.

Though that might be either an advantage or a disadvantage...

But really, OP, please don't back away from names that you (the parents) like, just because there are some anonymous people on an Internet board who think they know better than you about names.

Much much better choices. I'm not a fan of Siobhan.
What about Maura and Mauve?
Clare and Cloe?
Lily and Leah?

OK - OP here - I have read through everyone's posts and am surprised to see how many people have visceral reactions against names that we really like. It hurts my feelings, but we are still going to go back to the drawing board and try to come up with some alternate name choices and then wait until after the girls are born to see what names seem to fit their personalities. The only thing we are definitely still firm on is keeping the same first initial for both babies' names (despite all of the posters who feel it's too "matchy".) What about these names?

Lily and Lila (no real reason; just like the way they sound together)

Madison and Michaela (my father's name is Michael)

Siobhan and Simone (we are of Irish descent)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Come on OP, you know how pretentious and made up these names are.

Paisley is the name of a fabric, not of a child. And Payton is spelled Peyton. It is a name you'd find in the south when it's spelled correctly.

Anonymous wrote:I don't think OP asked your opinion on the first names, PP. She asked for suggestions on middle names.

Plus I don't know how a name can be both "pretentious" and "made up", given reactions by people like you to "made up" names. Whom do you think the OP is trying to impress with these names?

And "Paisley" is a real actual word.

And I wouldn't have recommended telling Walter Payton that he spelled his name wrong.

Umm, that's his last name. We're talking about first names here as in Peyton Manning.

Anonymous wrote:Peyton Elizabeth and Paisley Alexandra

BTW I live in the south and both names are VERY popular here.

How about Elizabeth Peyton and Alexandra Paisley? They could still choose to go by their middle names...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1. Peyton not Payton. Please. For the child's sake
2. Paisley is awful but matching with the Ps makes it work. Pretty pretty please pass on one.

What in the world is that supposed to mean?

Oops. Supposed to say worse. On my phone, sorry!

Anonymous wrote:Peyton Elizabeth and Paisley Alexandra

BTW I live in the south and both names are VERY popular here.

Bless you.

Peyton Elizabeth and Paisley Alexandra

BTW I live in the south and both names are VERY popular here.

It is cute, but waay too cute. Perfect for my kittens. No, please, no.

Anonymous wrote:Come on OP, you know how pretentious and made up these names are.

Paisley is the name of a fabric, not of a child. And Payton is spelled Peyton. It is a name you'd find in the south when it's spelled correctly.

+1

No middle names can fix those two first names. My suggestion is you go back to the drawing board OP. And pick first names that begin with different letters for the twins.

Anonymous wrote:1. Peyton not Payton. Please. For the child's sake
2. Paisley is awful but matching with the Ps makes it work. Pretty pretty please pass on one.

What in the world is that supposed to mean?

1. Peyton not Payton. Please. For the child's sake
2. Paisley is awful but matching with the Ps makes it work. Pretty pretty please pass on one.

Anonymous wrote:I don't really mind the names, though paisley reminds me of that brat on toddlers and tiaras.
I do like Payton and Paige, though I would spell it Peyton.

For middle names, I really like Marie and Leigh.

Do you really like Peyton and Paige for twins? They are way too matchy. Give them coordinating, but not matchy names. (By coordinating I mean both biblical, both Irish, both African, whatever, somehow culturally or thematically related, but not sounding similar.)