Naming Subsequent Babies: Part 2

Themes, of course, are not the only way to have a bit of continuity among sibling names. Another factor to consider is the sound of the names together. The goal, of course, is not to necessarily find names that sound "good" together so much as to avoid names that clearly sound BAD. Many names will sound just fine with when paired with the name of your first child, but undoubtedly you'll come across a few options that will make you cringe. Examples?

Aurora and: Flora (Rhyming is practically never a good idea); Doria (Too many "r's" and similar vowel sounds); Kay (very short and masculine next to the flowery "Aurora")

Rory and: Tori, Laurie, Corrie, etc. (See above); Riordan; Riley (Too similar)

Evan and: Evangeline (Seems obvious that one name should not contain the entirety of another); Alvin; Ivan (Share many similar sounds); Laban (I don't know why you'd name your kid after this guy, but especially don't do it if you already have one named "Evan.")

Abigail and: Gabrielle (The chance of having an "Abby" and a "Gabby" is just too high); Able (Imagine sputtering "Abigail" and "Able" if you're upset..."Ablegail!"

Able and: Cain (Good twin, bad twin. Good idea? Bad idea!!)

Michelle and: Barack (Naming siblings after husbands and wives is really, really weird to me.)

You get the point. Consider any potential sibling-related ramifications before bestowing a name on your second child, considering the melodiousness of the names (rhyming being too melodious) and any weird associations with the name of your first child.

Next time: Naming Subsequent Babies: Part 3!