Choosing the perfect name for your twins

We parents all strive to select the perfect name for our babies, but parents of twins or multiples may find particularly challenging to make the right choice for two, three or more children. Naming one baby is hard enough, but in this case, you've got twice the work to do!

To help you get started, we offer a few popular strategies for choosing names for twins. They are not rules, but they can help you discover new ideas, weight every option, and then select the one that you really like.

• Using anagrams:
  
  Take one name that you like and rearrange the letters to make another name. With traditional baby names your choices are slightly limited with this option, but, if you don't mind bending the rules a little, you could play around with this idea forever.
  A few examples of this:
  Amy & May, Abdel & Blade, Myra & Mary, Abel & Elba, Abelie & Bailee, Amy & May , Adan & Dana, Alan & Lana, Alfred & Fardel, Alyce & Lacey, Antonia & Ionatan, Ira & Ria , Arlie & Ariel, Ashley & Elysha, Athanas & Natasha
  
  
• Reversing names:
  
  This will only work for a small selection of names, but if you have the time and some patience, then you will eventually find some great names.
  Example:
  Nadia & Aidan
  
  
• Names with the same meaning:
  
  Sarah & Almira - both meaning "Princess"
  Bernard & Brian - meaning "Strong"
  Lucy & Helen - meaning "Light"
  
  
  
• Using names that rhyme or sound the same.
  
  It is a good option, but if they sound very similar, it will be very difficult for your babies to learn their names by the sound.
  
  
• Names beginning with the same letter
  
  Examples:
  Jacob & Joshua, Ethan & Evan
  
  
• Choosing names that have no connection at all.
  
  Future parents can get so wrapped up in trying to choose the perfect name for their twins, that forget the fact: they can choose names that have no connection at all. It's fun to treat your twins as a pair, but when naming twins it's important to give them each a unique identity.

You can also find inspiration from the list of the most popular names for twins compiled by the US Social Security Administration. On the right you'll find the top 100 twin names for 2008.

In 2007 the most popular names were:

1. Jacob, Joshua
2. Matthew, Michael
3. Daniel, David
4. Isaac, Isaiah
5. Ella, Emma
6. Madison, Morgan
7. Taylor, Tyler
8. Landon, Logan
9. Brandon, Bryan
10. Christian, Christopher

More: top 100 twin names in 2007, 2006, 2005 and 2004.

Please remember that a name identifies a person for life. Growing up is hard enough, don't give your kids weird names. Regardless of what option you choose to name your twins, you should take the time to sit down and put some serious thought into your decision.