Fictional Twin Names: from matchy to fun

and a name challenge!

It’s currently Gemini season and whether you believe in astrology or not, the sign of the twins brings with it a good excuse to think about names for hypothetical multiples. Over on the Nameberry forums, users love to come up twinsets, whether they be matching, complementary, or total opposites.

Nameberry has a full guide on how best to name twins in the real world, but today, let’s forget about naming real people and take a look at some stand-out twin names from the realms of fiction instead. From subtle themes to super matchy, these are just some of the ways writers and creators have chosen to name their fictional multiples.

Literary Twinsets

Taken from the pages of classic literature , these twin names feel connected, partly because they appear in memorable works of fiction, but also because they are stylistically matched.

Viola and Sebastian (Twelfth Night – William Shakespeare)

Shasta and Corin (The Chronicles of Narnia – C.S. Lewis)

Amoret and Belphoebe (The Faerie Queene – Edmund Spenser)

Cassandra and Judith (Cassandra at the Wedding – Dorothy Baker)

Esthappen “Estha” and Rahel (God of Small Things – Arundhati Roy)

Matchy-matchy

Often chosen for plot purposes and memorability, these twin names are linked by letters, obvious themes, and by rhyme, and in turn, stand out for their matchiness. Some could work in the real world, while others should probably remain fictional.

Adeline and Emmeline (The Thirteenth Tale – Diane Setterfield)

Leia and Luke (Star Wars Franchise)

Ruby and Garnet (Double Act – Jacqueline Wilson)

Bernadette “Bennie” and Byron (Black Cake – Charmaine Wilkerson)

Stella and Ella “Star” (Miss Pearly’s Girls - ReShonda Tate Billingsley)

Complementary Sets

Connected in subtler ways, whether by origin, endings, or style, these names match without being matchy.

Eliot and Miranda (White is for Witching – Helen Oyeyemi – both names are literary: Miranda is Shakespearean, while Eliot links to George Eliot or T.S Eliot)

Annie and Hallie (The Parent Trap – double consonants and -ie endings)

Estelle “Stella” and Desiree (The Vanishing Half – Brit Bennett – French names)

Aubrey and River (The Mars House – Natasha Pulley – unisex names)

Fun twinsets

With unexpected nicknames, these sets stand out for their lighter, playful feel.

Kate “Toots” and Sidney “Sid” (The Beano – technically a jokey set, their surname being Pye)

Mason “Dipper” and Mabel (Gravity Falls)

Poppy “Poppet” and Winston “Widget” (The Night Circus – Erin Morgenstern)

Now it’s over to you! What standout fictional twinsets aren’t on this list?

And, if you’re up for a naming challenge, what would you name fictional twins? Feel free to make them as matchy, fun, or subtly connected as you like – no need to worry about real life babies here!

We look forward to reading your answers!

Other fun stuff from this week:

What names are really popular in the American Playground?

Celebrate Pride Month with these iconic names 🏳‍🌈

Check out this list of Thomas variants 👬

How did this botanical name get so popular on Nameberry?