My parents gave my twin sister and me radically different names. It helped us keep our individuality.

• I'd urge you to consider opposite names if you are having twins in 2024.
• I was born an identical twin, and my unique name, Mikhaila, helped maintain my individuality.

Now that we're a couple of months into 2024, various baby name websites have predicted the top names of the year.

But something I've noticed that's less commonly talked about is what to name twins.

I'm an identical twin, born in Glasgow, Scotland. My first name, Mikhaila, is a lot more unusual than my twin sister's name, Aimee.

Even though my name caused some issues while growing up, I'm glad it's completely different from my sister's.

It gave me a greater individual identity, something that's important for all children, but especially twins.

If you are expecting twins this year, I'd urge you to consider giving your babies opposite names — they'll thank you for it later in life.

Our parents couldn't agree on names

Part of the reason my sister and I have such different names is that our parents had different opinions on popular names versus unique names.

My dad favored more traditional names and wanted to call my sister Amy. Meanwhile, my mom thought the name was too trendy.

According to the National Records of Scotland, 703 babies were named Amy in 1996, the year we were born, making it the second most popular girl's name after Emma.

They ended up changing the spelling to Aimee, which wasn't as popular during that time.

When it came to naming me, my mom said she liked Mikhaila — and its spelling — because it was unusual.

She didn't know anyone with the name, but she had heard that the name Mikhail was a popular boy's name in Russia. This was completely random — we have no Russian ancestry or links to the country.

I was the only baby to be given the name Mikhaila in Scotland in 1996, according to the National Records. That same year, there were 40 babies named Michaela, which is the more well-known spelling of my name.

I always loved my name, even though it sometimes made me self-conscious. Family members and friends struggled to spell my name while growing up, which resulted in some unfavorable nicknames (I'm looking at you, Mickey). Others couldn't pronounce it, and I had one friend who called me the wrong name for years.

I'm glad I was given a completely different name from my twin

Over the years, some people have asked why our parents gave us such different names.

I think they're missing the point: A major reason I love my name is because it sets me apart from my twin. We've spent our lives sharing things — why should a name be one of them?

There were at least five sets of twins in our high school, and they all had similar names. Their names either rhymed, began with the same letter, or had a similar number of syllables.

This is a broad trend. For example, in Good To Know's round-up of the 500 best twin baby names in 2023, names like "Aida and Ava" and "Gabriella and Isabella" topped the list.

Nonetheless, it seems that parents' mindsets are slowly shifting on this topic. SJ Strum, a baby-name expert based in the UK, told me she's noticed that rhyming twin names have decreased in recent years.

"Parents value that their twins are two different people and that their names should be different enough to help other people get to know them individually," Strum, who founded the baby-naming consultancy Baby Name Envy, said.

Having a completely different name from my twin was significant in helping me feel like an individual during a time when I often wasn't treated like one by my peers.

Aimee and I spent a lot of time together: We were in the same classes, had the same friend group, and looked alike — naturally, our peers and teachers got us mixed up.

My name was the one thing that was completely my own. And looking back, I wouldn't have had it any other way.