View Message

Others have advised you of what a mismatched sibset is. I'd like to point out that mismatched sibsets are actually pretty rare. This is because people tend to like the same sort of names, they like trendy names, or they like unusual names, or they like classic names, or they like creative spellings, etc. There tends not to be any crossover, i.e., "I like both classic and trendy creatively spelled names." You see this over and over in real life. My mother gave all of my siblings and me names that were popular at the time we were born, John, Linda, Janice, Patricia, and Pamela. There's no way my mother would have suddenly thrown in Ophelia or Flavia at the end there. Just not something she would do. She wasn't imaginative when it came to names, and that had already been proven by the first four names she chose. My daughter has three sons and their names are Leonidas, Abraham, and Thaddeus. Obviously my daughter likes old, classic, and what she considers to be strongly masculine names for boys. There's no way she'd go for Jayden or Avery.

---

In the post you linked to, the OP was considering the names for a work of fiction and was concerned with making the story believable, so that's really why he received advice on the sibset being mismatched. The mismatched sibset would make the story less believable, as mismatched sibsets are not common in real life. I don't think too many of us here look at any mismatched sibsets that are real and think, "Oh no that shouldn't happen, how terrible." On the other hand, real life mismatched sibsets usually do elicit a response of "It's mismatched", simply because they are not that common, so to see one elicits some surprise.

Maybe because Josephine's old fashioned and Jordan trendy-ish? I don't like a sibset starting with the same syllable, that's the main issue I have with the sibset.

Josephine is a classic name. It's the feminine form of Joseph. Jordan on a girl is very modern. Jordan is traditionally a boy's name. Jordana would be much more classic and would fit nicely with Josephine. In that way, they would match.

---

Harper, Ophelia, and Violet is mismatchy for the exact same reason. Ophelia and Violet are classic, traditionally feminine names, whereas Harper is not. It's modern and traditionally a surname.

I think mismatched names just don't "go." Its like the debate about clothing and what "goes" and what "matches" and what "clashes." You don't have to match names, a la naming twins with a theme, but you should have names that "go." Some names just clash, like camoflauge and plaid. For instance, I think you would easily see that Romulus, Candy, and Deirdre clash but Romulus, Michael, and Alexandra go, and Romulus, Remus, and Roman match.

---

Its simply a matter of taste, really. Just as I wouldn't wear camo with plaid or all floral, I wouldn't name my kids a bizarre mismatch or a camp matching set.

This message was edited 8/23/2014, 9:03 PM

Mismatched means that they aren't in the same style. Like Jaden and Margarita- Jaden is modern American and ambiguous, while Margarita is traditional Spanish and more frilly.

---

How much names being matched or mismatched varies per couple. Some like having a family that sounds like one family, not steps plus half siblings or a group of friends from school. Some don't care and will be as eclectic as they want. If baby one looks like a Jordan and baby two looks like a Josephine, that is what they will be named, strangers' opinions be damned.

It's just a style thing and it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. If I heard siblings named Josephine and Jordan, I'd assume Jordan was a boy because Josephine is so classic and Jordan for a girl seems very trendy and modern. They just don't "go". But it doesn't really matter. And I think I'd rather have mismatched names than names that match too much (please stop naming your twins Jayden and Cayden, etc)

---

Allison and Clarissa go together to me. Harper, Ophelia and Violet do as well.

---

There are sometimes more obvious "mismatches". I was looking through a program for a school musical and the family of one of the actors had paid to have a message put in, and it was signed "Love Mom, Dad, Krista, Kyle, and Ryan." (And the actor had a K name as well. Ryan got left out!)

I think what matches and what doesn't probably feels different for different people. I think Josephine and Jordan would be fine if Jordan was a boy.
But if Jordan's a girl then it's new and trendy next to Josephine which is classic and incredibly beautiful.

---

Same with Harper and Ophelia and Violet. Ophelia and Violet are old fashioned and Harper is new and looks strange next to them.
It matters to me cos things that match sound good ^_~ And things that don't kinda make me go "Huh. Weird."
But what matches to me doesn't always match to other peopl.

They're considered mismatched because Josephine is feminine and classic, whereas Jordan on a girl is trendy, unisex, and modern. They're two entirely different styles.

---

I don't think it's too much of a big deal myself; I mean, if you love a name, I don't think you should worry too much if the names are the exact same style. I think some deviation could be interesting. However, in the case of Josephine and Jordan, a problem could be that, upon hearing the sibset, one would very likely assume Jordan to be a boy. Because the parents chose Josephine, feminine and beautiful, it would be hard for strangers to imagine that they'd name their other daughter Jordan, masculine and trendy. True, a Jordan could always be mistaken with the other gender, but I think it'd occur a lot more in a Josephine/Jordan set than in an Avery/Jordan set.

If people think there are names that go together for a sibset, you know thats all their opinion.
But certainly names can be too simular like josephine and jordan. I personally wouldnt have sibling names too matchy or start with the same letter.
I personally see jordan as a males name. Certainly masculin