How we score name pairings

Every name on this site has a number next to it, from about 5 to 99. It is not a rating of the name by itself. It tells you how well that name goes with the name you typed in. Higher is better. Here is what the number is built from.

Middle names

• Number of syllables — this counts the most. If the first name has two syllables, a one- or three-syllable middle name flows better than another two-syllable one. You want the length to change.
• Where the two names join. If the first name ends on a soft sound and the middle name starts on a firm one, the full name sounds clean. Two similar sounds bumping together — like "Liam Mason" — sounds worse and gets a lower number.
• Same first letter. A middle name that starts with the same letter as the first name loses a few points. Some parents want that on purpose; most do not.
• Same style. When both names have the same feel — both classic, both modern, both nature names, and so on — the number goes up.

Sibling names

• Same style and time period — this counts the most. Two classic names, or two modern names — not one of each.
• About equally well-known. Putting a Top 10 name next to a very rare one loses points. A brother and sister should sit at about the same level.
• No rhyming, no clashing. Names that rhyme, end the same way, or start with the same letter lose points.
• How they sound side by side. A small bump when the two names have the same number of syllables, so they balance when you say them together.

Twin names

The same idea as sibling names, with three changes: rhyming loses about twice as many points, having the same number of syllables matters more, and a different first letter gets a bonus. Twins get sorted by first letter on school and doctor's forms for years, so it helps to keep the two letters apart.

Where the information comes from

The names, how common they are, their past popularity and their origin all come from US Social Security Administration public records — US government figures that anyone is free to use. The syllable counts, ending sounds and style labels are added by Mithila Labs and checked by hand. See a name labeled wrong? Tell us. NamePairings is not connected to or endorsed by the Social Security Administration.