Don’t worry about syllables!

A reader recently told me she’d heard that one of the naming “rules” is that the first name and last name shouldn’t have the same number of syllables. I’ve heard variations on this idea before, especially regarding one-syllable first names and one-syllable last names, so I thought I’d compile a list of famous people who have the same number of syllables in their first and last names, as a way of showing that such a thing is fine, that most people don’t think twice about it, and that having such a name certainly doesn’t hold anyone back.

I’m including both real people and fictional characters — real people, because these famous people have *chosen* to go by these combination — they didn’t choose a different professional name — despite the syllable thing; fictional characters because these names were decided by the writers to be good, despite the syllable thing.

One Syllable

(Real)

Brad Pitt
Sean Penn
Hugh Grant
Chris Pratt
Jude Law
Cole Sprouse
Spike Lee
John Wayne
Tom Cruise
Kate Towne (me 🙂 )

(Fictional)

Bob Vance
Dwight Schrute
Clark Kent*

Two Syllables

(Real)

Nicole Kidman
Greta Garbo*
Alan Rickman
Emma Thompson
Meghan Markle*
Bindi Irwin
Robert Irvine
Tyler Florence
Ryan Reynolds*
Rhea Perlman
Kelsey Grammer
Amy Poehler
Rachel Bilson
Kylie Jenner
Kendall Jenner
Anna Faris
Miley Cyrus
Uma Thurman
Charlize Theron
Margot Robbie
Gordon Ramsay
Lisa Bonet
Halle Berry
Michael Jordan
Eli Manning
Peyton Manning
David Henrie