Some parents do double duty on first names and choose two names instead of one — a double name. For example, ASHLEY Olsen has one first name, but her twin sister MARY KATE Olsen has two.

Double names are nothing new. The names that usually come to mind are names like MARY JO, PEGGY SUE and MARY JANE. However, most parents today would probably think these names sound a little out of date for a new baby.

 

Give it a few decades and they’ll sound fresh again…But in the meantime, parents who like the idea of using two first names need some up-to-date alternatives.  

 

For some inspiration, let’s start with celebrities who have two first names. Here’s my list — feel free to add to it!

 

 

 

FEMALE DOUBLE NAMES

 

ANNA NICOLE Smith

BILLIE JEAN King

CARRIE ANN Inaba

CARRIE-ANN Moss

CATHERINE ZETA Jones

JAMIE LEE Curtis

JENNIFER JASON Leigh

JENNIFER LOVE Hewitt

JO DEE Messina

JULIA LOUIS Dreyfus

KATHIE LEE Gifford

KRISTIN SCOTT Thomas

LEE ANN Womack

LISA MARIE Presley

MARY ELIZABETH Mastrantonio

MARY KATE Olsen

MARY LOU Henner

MARY LOU Retton

MARY LOUISE Parker

MARY STUART Masterson

PENELOPE ANN Miller

RACHAEL LEIGH Cook

SARAH JESSICA Parker

SARAH MICHELLE Geller

SOLEIL MOON Frye

TIFFANI-AMBER Theissen

 

 

MALE DOUBLE NAMES

 

ANTHONY MICHAEL Hall

BILLY BOB Thornton

DAVID ALAN Grier

DAVID LEE Murphy

DAVID LEE Roth

EDGAR ALLEN Poe

HALEY JOEL Osment

JAMES EARL Jones

JAN MICHAEL Vincent

JERRY LEE Lewis

JOHN MICHAEL Montgomery

JOHN PAUL Jones

JONATHAN RHYS Meyers

JONATHAN TAYLOR Thomas

KEENAN IVORY Wayans

LOU DIAMOND Phillips

MALCOLM-JAMAL Warner

NEIL PATRICK Harris

PHILLIP MICHAEL Thomas

SEAN PATRICK Thomas

SEANN WILLIAM Scott

TOMMY LEE Jones

 

 

When I started thinking about writing this blog post I thought of a couple celebrities right away and figured there would be a handful I could use as examples — turns out I underestimated. Quite a few celebs have two first names! Some of them probably use two names for stage name purposes, but they’re interesting examples nonetheless.

 

If you can think of any I missed be sure and post a comment!

 

For tomorrow, I’ve put together a list of double names that have a modern feel to them. I can’t wait for your thoughts and suggestions. See you soon…

 

 

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You can also follow me on TWITTER to get up-to-the-minute celebrity baby name news, interesting names I come across and so much more! I’m @babynameauthor!

 

♥  Amanda

 

If you have baby name questions for me, email me at amanda@amandabarden.com.

Your question might appear in a future edition of Ask Amanda.

 

 

 

For more information on baby names and their meanings check out

BABY NAMES MADE EASY: THE COMPLETE REVERSE-DICTIONARY OF BABY NAMES