Sibling Name Finder

What the finder does and who it is for

The finder compares the sibling's name with the 17,111 published names in our database and ranks those that have something in common with it. It is meant for parents who are expecting another child and want a name that sits well beside the first one, for grandparents who are helping to choose, and for families who like to give siblings names from the same tradition.

It does not claim that siblings should match. Plenty of families prefer completely different names, and the finder is only one way of narrowing a long list. If you have no wish for a connection at all, the generator and the quiz are better starting points.

How to use it, step by step

1. Type the sibling's name. For example, Əzizə is recorded with a sourced meaning in 2 languages. If the name is in our database, choosing the suggestion lets the finder use its recorded origin, languages, theme and elements.
2. Say whether the new baby is a girl or a boy, or leave it open. Unisex names are kept for both.
3. Optionally tick the things every result must share. Without a tick, every name is ranked by how many of the connections it has.
4. Press the button. The page reloads with up to twelve names, each with a row of reasons. The form is an ordinary web form, so it also works without JavaScript.
5. Save the ones you like with the bookmark, or open several in the compare tool to look at them side by side.

How the ranking works

Two rules are always applied. First, names that start with the same letter as the sibling are removed, unless you tick the option to include them. Second, if you choose a gender for the new baby, names recorded only for the other gender are removed.

Everything else adds points. A shared origin group, such as Turkic or Persian, is worth three points. The same number of syllables is worth three, one syllable apart one. An ending of three matching letters is worth three and two matching letters one. A shared name element is worth three, a shared meaning theme two, the same language one and a similar length one. Names are listed from the highest score to the lowest, and the reasons you see are exactly the points that were counted.

If you tick a criterion under the optional heading, it turns into a rule: a name that fails it disappears. When the sibling's name is free text that we cannot find in the database, the finder cannot know its origin, language, themes or elements. It then uses only letters, length and rhythm, and tells you which of your ticks it had to ignore.

Limits you should know

• Rhythm comes from an approximate vowel-group count, so it can be off by one for unusual spellings.
• An ending match is a match of letters, not necessarily of sounds in your accent.
• Origins are those recorded in our entries. A name with a recorded origin of Arabic can still be used throughout the Turkic world.
• The finder suggests names that are in our database. A name that is missing is not necessarily unsuitable.
• A shared reason is not a guarantee that two names sound good together. Say them aloud as a pair.

Practical tips for parents

Say the siblings' names together, in both orders, and then say them with the surname. Pairs that end and begin with the same sound can run together when you call both children at once.

Think about how the names will look side by side on a school list. Different initials make life easier for teachers, coaches and other parents, and that is why the finder excludes the same initial by default.

If you want a gentle family thread, a shared meaning theme or a shared element is often more subtle than matching endings. Two names that both relate to light, for example, connect in meaning without sounding alike.

Questions and answers