Most people have likely encountered at least a few families with children called Logan, Lucas, and Liam or Dana, Derek, and Damian. And we’ve seen famous examples of this type of sibset in the Kardashians and Duggars, with one letter determining the names of the whole family. Even I have swooned over my imaginary alliterative twins, Alaska and Azura. But is this simple, yet possibly confusing way to link sibling names beneficial or not? Today, I’ve listed the pros and cons of same initial sibsets, in order to uncover if the potential confusion is worth the special connection. This idea was submitted by a loyal reader. If you would like your ideas turned into an article, make sure to contact me by submitting my form.
Pros
While naming your children Brandon and Sarah (meaning “prince” and “princess”) is sweet, the connection most likely won’t be noticed by anyone but you. With Sarah and Samantha, though, the link is obvious. Not only is the connection much more apparent with same initial sibsets, choosing one letter to name from can help narrow down your shortlist. If you’re drowning in options, matching the initial of already named children can knock quite a few choices off your list. Going from 26 letter choices to one gives you a great shortlist to take to the hospital and makes the decision-making process much easier.
In addition to being a useful filter for name possibilities, same initial siblings sound more like a set. Maya and Maisie are more cohesive and cute than Maya and Ivy. Alliteration can improve the flow of a sibset and bring two totally different styles together in a unified pairing. For instance, Juliette and Josephine, although belonging to very different style categories, work well together because they share the same sound.
Same initial sibling sets are practical as well. Most baby naming books and some baby naming sites are sorted by letter, so if you already have a letter in mind, you’ll have to do less reading or searching to find names to consider. Not only that, keeping with the same initial while naming all of your kids allows you to reuse monogram backpacks, onesies, and nursery decor. Overall, the perks of same initial sibsets are looking good!
Cons
Although some people find they love every name they hear, others have just a few options that meet their criteria, and when more constraints such as a certain letter are put on that already short list, it may eliminate all possibilities. If your first two are Bernadette and Belle, and the few B names you loved have been used, you may be pressured to choose a name you don’t like in the interest of preserving the theme. If you do choose a name you love that doesn’t start with your chosen letter, you risk your third feeling left out, or having the names sound strange together.
Even more potentially problematic, some families resort to unnatural variant spellings that will cause confusion for the child throughout their whole life, but do keep with the theme. For instance, Jinger Duggar or Khloe Kardashian, are two children of families famous for giving their kids all the same initial. Despite the names still following the pattern, Ginger and Chloe are considered the only spelling of those names, making the obscure variants a big headache for both the parent and the bearer of the name.
As I mentioned in the Pros section, alliterative sibling names are undeniably adorable. But there does come a point where siblings aren’t always presented as a set anymore, and get their own spouses and families. Then, Maya and Maisie may seem a bit too cutesy, and lacking in individuality for siblings who aren’t very close or live in separate states or countries. But same initials can also cause confusion when it comes to writing initials on school supplies or sleeping bags as kids.
Final Thoughts
I definitely prefer giving each child their own initial, as that option dodges the trap of sticking to one letter alone. I personally find same initial sibsets slightly tacky and a bit too cutesy, but other people see it as a great connection between siblings and a way to blend different styles of names. Despite disagreeing with that, writing the pros did sway my opinion from ‘hate same initial sibsets’ to ‘ehh, they’re ok.’ Either way, the pros and cons seem pretty even, leaving this debate up to personal preference. But, for the record, Maya and Maisie are ADORABLE!
Sincerely,
~Delphina Moon
Do you agree with my final verdict? What’s your cutest imaginary (or real!) sibset?
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