So we have just found out we are having twin boys but we are having trouble coming up with name options! I have rules already from our first son: our surname is Brown so no one syllable names and no names starting with B, but now I need to find 2 names that fit well together as well as with their older brother! We have Travis already, which may seem like an unusual choice to you as I know it's common in North America but in Australia (where we live) and New Zealand (where I'm from) it's hardly used - I've literally never met another Travis. My point is that some of the names you might scoff at because you went to school with 4 of them may be ok in this case?

Additional rules: the names MUST be spelt correctly and I'm ruling out names that start with T because everyone having the same initial annoys the hell out of me.

I used to say that if I had twin boys I would call them Harvey and Curtis (the v and the -is would fit in with Travis) but hubby says no to Curtis which makes me less keen on Harvey (I only like them as a set). I like Mitchell, hubby is less keen, he likes Carson, I don't. There have been lots of other names tossed around but nothing has really stuck yet.

So yeah, any ideas? I thought it might help to get some suggestions from that side of the world (although considering my husband is Canadian you wouldn't think I'd need it but here we are...)

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I mean, let me not misrepresent myself, or correct myself if I have. I don’t think there are 98 Travises running around any given junior high school. I think one of the things you may see me reacting to is that it’s a name that has surfaced in two consecutive generations – there are fathers named Travis and also babies. It’s not unlike, say, Graham or maybe Ian - appeared in both generations, but not emblematic of either. 

Contrast it with a name like Jason, or little brother Justin, which were the 80s and 90s, respectively. Those are the names I dismiss out of hand because we have so many of them still walking around, even if on paper, there aren’t six in your kid’s current friend lineup. Similarly, a name like Henry, for example, existed in the 80s or 90s but landed now (well, and at the turn of the century) and you see what I mean.

So. Just so you know, I don’t dislike the name Travis, and understand where you’re coming from with it, and duly noted on the spirit with which you would like me to take this letter.

Travis and his Twin Brothers – even just the writing of that phrase makes me cosign your edict that there be no other T names, it somehow feels even more cutesy than it should. But then, I wouldn’t have any to suggest, outside of, say, Terrence. Or Trent. 

But mostly I am kind of amazed that you had a contingency for twin boys that didn’t also involve the name Travis that you already loved. I will say that I take the knowledge they’re not to be called Harvey and Curtis with mixed feelings. I’ll be honest that I think Travis and Curtis are too close; it makes me think you’re going to call the third brother Lewis, and I know you’re not into matchiness of that (or any) degree. 

But I’m heartbroken to hear that you don’t like Harvey without Curtis, because I love Harvey, and wish it were used more often. I want to throw out a few pairings that I think would be perfect. What about Harvey and Walter, or Harvey and Duncan, or Harvey and Calvin. Harvey and Vincent?

I’d recommend any of those names in isolation, or in combination with the others. Carson and Mitchell strike me as deliberately trying to stay on the not-trendy side of ‘names we’ve heard in our grandparents’ days’ (where, say, Samuel and Maxwell and Albert are firmly on the Adorable Pop-Pop side), so other names that seem to fit that description are Virgil or Gilbert or Orson, or the male equivalent of a name sideswiped-by-popularity, Oscar. Any of these would be gorgeous, but my favourite combinations would include:

Harvey and Vincent
Duncan and Walter
Gilbert and Orson
Calvin and Virgil

You could also dabble in Cyrus or Edwin or Caleb or Victor. Harvey and Cyrus! Edwin and Vincent! Walter and Caleb? Or, in keeping with the ‘name from then AND now, maybe Keith? Brendan? Colin?

One of the things I realize I’ve been doing is gravitating towards names with ‘v’ in them – it’s not necessary, of course, but v is so rare that it provides a really nice ‘pivot point’… maybe that’s why it’s so attractive.

Let us know what you choose!