What Are Irish Twins? Origin, Advantages, & Challenges

Do you have two close-in-age siblings who are often referred to as Irish twins? Or, are you confused whenever you hear someone call your kids Irish twins, when you aren’t Irish, and they aren't actually twins? If so, we’ve got you covered! Irish twins are a playful way to refer to close-in-age siblings, and in this article, we'll dig into the term’s meaning, origin, and whether or not it’s offensive, with help from a linguistics professor. We even get into what it’s like to have Irish twins, with the help of a licensed marriage and family therapist and family and reproductive specialists. Read on to learn all about Irish twins!

Irish Twins Meaning Explained

According to Assistant Professor of Linguistics Lizzy Hanks, “Irish twins” refers to children who are born within 12 months of each other. While formerly a derogatory term used to refer to the children of Irish immigrants, “Irish twins” is now used as a neutral and even affectionate way to refer to close-in-age siblings.

Section 1 of 8:

What are Irish twins?

Download Article

Irish twins are children born 12 months apart. Hanks says that Irish twins are children who are typically born about 12 months apart from one another.^{[1]
X
Expert Source

Lizzy Hanks
Assistant Professor of Linguistics

Expert Interview} Also known as close-in-age siblings, the term can also be used more loosely to describe siblings up to 18 months apart. The idea is that, since the siblings are so close in age, they’re almost like twins and share many similarities with them.^{[2]
X
Research source}
- Hanks says, “[The term] began as an offensive label that stereotyped Catholic Irish families, purportedly based on the assumption that members of this group did not use contraception.”^{[3]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Lizzy Hanks
  Assistant Professor of Linguistics
  
  Expert Interview}
- Hanks continues, “There has been some discussion about "Irish twins" on social media as well. Some claim it is still an offensive term, largely because of its origins. Others claim it has taken on a 'cutesy' tone.”^{[4]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Lizzy Hanks
  Assistant Professor of Linguistics
  
  Expert Interview}
- “Of course, the term "Irish twins" can be both at once: offensive if uttered by someone outside of the group who has bad intentions, yet affectionate if used by someone inside the group who has reclaimed the term as a source of empowerment,” notes Hanks.^{[5]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Lizzy Hanks
  Assistant Professor of Linguistics
  
  Expert Interview}
- The term was also once used as a derogatory way to describe Irish immigrant children in the U.S. Most Irish immigrants were Catholic.
Meet the wikiHow Experts

Lizzy Hanks is a linguistics researcher and communication educator based in Tampa, Florida. She has appeared in over 20 peer-reviewed linguistics articles.

Elizabeth Earnshaw is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who specializes in couples therapy and strives to make it more accessible.

Lauren Chan Lee, MBA, is a Family Care Specialist and Senior Director of Product Management at Care.com, the largest online family care marketplace.

Lora Luczywo, IBCLC, is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant with over 10 years of lactation consulting experience.

Section 2 of 8:

Where does the term “Irish twins” come from?

Download Article

“Irish twins” comes from the stereotype that Catholic Irish immigrants had lots of kids. In the 1850s, the term was popularized as a derogatory way to refer to the children of newly arrived Irish immigrants in the United States. The stereotype of the time was that Irish immigrants had lots of children in a short time span, lending to the xenophobic origins of the term.^{[6]
X
Research source}
- Birth control was historically forbidden in the Irish Catholic faith, contributing to large families and close-in-age siblings, which then led to the derogatory use of the term “Irish twins.”

Section 3 of 8:

Is “Irish Twins” offensive?

Download Article

In was offensive in the past, but now it’s more neutral and even affectionate. It’s impossible to say that the term is now 100% inoffensive to everyone, but “Irish twins” has been widely reclaimed, and its meaning has shifted to be less derogatory and more neutral. The term now serves as a casual way to refer to close-in-age siblings, and it usually isn’t perceived as an insult. But if you’re worried you may end up offending someone, it’s best to go with the term “close-in-age siblings,” instead.^{[7]
X
Research source}
- Hanks notes, “While the term began as an offensive, derogatory term, and may still be so towards people who identify with this group, it appears as though (a) it is no longer widely used (because of its rare occurrence in American English — only 13 occurrences in one billion words — as well as the necessity for an explanation/definition when it does occur) and (b) the meaning may be shifting towards a more affectionate connotation. In fact, the examples include many parents referring to their own children as Irish twins.”^{[8]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Lizzy Hanks
  Assistant Professor of Linguistics
  
  Expert Interview}
  - For example, Hanks provides this quote taken from a 2006 fiction novel, “As always, looking at my younger sister is like looking in a mirror. Irish twins; that's what our mom called us. We're less than twelve months apart in age and have the same curly copper-red hair, pale, freckled skin, and blue eyes.”^{[9]
    X
    Expert Source
    
    Lizzy Hanks
    Assistant Professor of Linguistics
    
    Expert Interview}
  - Hanks also mentions an example from a 2025 Washington Post novel, “They have two sons, Jack and Tom (10 and 9, born 10 months apart, what Prine jokingly calls "Irish twins") as well as Fiona's 23-year-old, Jody, who's been with Prine since he was 11.”^{[10]
    X
    Expert Source
    
    Lizzy Hanks
    Assistant Professor of Linguistics
    
    Expert Interview}

Section 4 of 8:

Advantages of Raising Irish TwinsTwins

Download Article

As you get older, your body may have a tougher time dealing with the stress of pregnancy. In this case, Irish twins can be super advantageous! Not only do they help build the family quickly, but they also come in handy if you want to avoid having another baby at an older age, which can come with a few more risks.^{[11]
X
Trustworthy Source

Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals

Go to source}
While you will have to deal with double the trouble as you raise your Irish twins, once they get older, they’ll become independent around the same time and won’t need you to hold the leash. As they get older and dive deeper into their personal interests, lives, and hobbies, you’ll be able to have more time to yourself.^{[12]
X
Research source}
Depending on your career, you may want to have children closer together so you don’t need to take as much time off work. While you will need to hunker down for the challenge of raising two infants at once, it could be beneficial in the long run!
Since Irish twins are so close in age, they’ll always have a sibling who they can reach out to and enjoy life with. You’ll still get the natural older and younger sibling dynamics, but since they’re so close in age, they’ll still be able to relate to one another (especially if they’re in the same grade)!

Section 5 of 8:

Challenges of Raising Irish Twins

Download Article

1
There are increased risks with short interpregnancy intervals. The short interpregnancy intervals needed for Irish twins are associated with some risks for the parent and child, including premature birth, low birth weight, potential birth defects, and preeclampsia (high blood pressure during pregnancy). Because of this, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends waiting 6-18 months after your first pregnancy before getting pregnant again.^{[13]
X
Trustworthy Source

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Professional association of OB/GYNs focused on education and public outreat initiatives

Go to source}
- If you've unexpectedly found yourself in this situation, don't worry—although there are risks associated with back-to-back pregnancies, it's absolutely possible to have a completely safe and healthy pregnancy!
- Just make sure to see your OB-GYN regularly and follow all their advice to keep both you and baby in tip-top shape.
2
There are increased financial costs when it comes to raising Irish twins. Just like regular twins, Irish twins are so close in age that you’re practically paying double for everything. This can lead to increased financial challenges, especially if you aren’t prepared for the cost of raising two little ones at the same time.
- Depending on the age of your Irish twins, some of these financial challenges can be alleviated. For example, if one child is 6 months old and the other is 3 months old, you can save the 6-month-old’s baby clothes so the 3-month-old can wear them.
The terrible twos are already tough enough on parents with one child, as the kid is learning more about the world and starting to develop their own sense of agency and understanding.

Section 6 of 8:

Tips for Raising Irish Twins

Download Article

1
Encourage their individuality. Irish twins, while close in age, are still their own individuals, and that individuality is important to remember when you’re raising them. Every child develops in different ways and at different paces, even your Irish twins, so it’s best to encourage those differences and allow them to be their individual selves, explore personal interests and activities, and fully embody their personalities.
- This also means not comparing the two. They’re different people, so let them be themselves, not each other.
Keeping a routine that’s scheduled and consistent makes it easier to predict what’s going to be going on for the day, week, or month, both for the parents and children. It helps keep things organized so the children aren’t thrown off, and it also gives you much-needed time for self-care.
3
Make time for self-care. While it may be more difficult due to the demands of raising two children, it’s still important to practice self-care, as it’ll make you (and by extension, your Irish twins) feel better. So when making time for self-care, licensed marriage and family therapist Elizabeth Earnshaw says to “take care of yourself physically [and] emotionally” by following these tips:^{[14]
X
Expert Source

Elizabeth Earnshaw
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Expert Interview}
- Physically: Eat, brush your teeth, and take regular showers.
- Emotionally: Spend time with people who make you happy (not miserable), put boundaries and limits in place to protect your emotions, read, learn, and do things you enjoy.
4
Enlist the help of a babysitter or nanny when you can. It’s okay to ask for help, whether you’ve got something going on or just need a day off. So, don’t be afraid of hitting up a babysitter or nanny to watch the kids. When you’re getting ready to have a nanny or babysitter watch your Irish twins, family care specialist Lauren Chan Lee, MBA, says to “Have a list of instructions that details important parts of [their] routine so that you don’t have to write it out every time or tell it in person.”^{[15]
X
Expert Source

Lauren Chan Lee, MBA
Family Care Specialist

Expert Interview}
- Lee says to talk about what the routine is, when they take their naps, and other important things they do throughout the day.^{[16]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Lauren Chan Lee, MBA
  Family Care Specialist
  
  Expert Interview}
- Remember, parenting is a shared responsibility. If they haven’t already offered it, ask your partner (or co-parent) for some help before reaching out to a nanny or babysitter.
International board-certified lactation consultant Lora Luczywo, IBCLC, says a breastfeeding pillow is helpful when it comes to feeding twins. This means it will also be useful if you have Irish twins who are breastfeeding at the same time! She suggests you “meet with a lactation consultant to show you the optimal positions for tandem feeding the babies because if you can master tandem feeding, that can make a huge difference in your breastfeeding success.”^{[17]
X
Expert Source

Lora Luczywo, IBCLC
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant

Expert Interview}

Section 7 of 8:

Irish Twins vs. Actual Twins

Download Article

Irish twins are close in age, while twins are born at the same time. Whether they’re fraternal (born from two fertilized eggs) or identical (born from one split fertilized egg), standard twins are conceived and born at the same time. Irish twins, on the other hand, are born up to 12-18 months apart from each other, meaning they develop at different rates in comparison to twins, who typically have the same developmental rate as they age.
- Depending on how close in age your Irish twins are, they may develop more like actual twins, since their developmental rates are closer than Irish twins born further apart.
- Irish twins that are born further apart still have plenty of developmental similarities due to how close they are in age.

Section 8 of 8:

Frequently Asked Questions

Download Article

1
Is being born 18 months apart considered Irish twins? While the term “Irish twins” is mainly used to refer to children who have up to a 12-month age range, the definition is loose, and children who are born 18 months apart are typically considered Irish twins, albeit on the tail end.^{[18]
X
Research source}
2
What are Irish triplets? Irish triplets, like Irish twins, are close-in-age siblings, but they come in a set of 3 instead of 2. Irish triplets consist of one set of actual twins and a third sibling who is close in age. As they all grow up, their experience is similar to that of actual triplets.^{[19]
X
Research source}
3
How common are Irish twins? “Irish twins” isn’t an official medical term, so it’s tough to determine how common they are.^{[20]
X
Research source} But according to a study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, about 35% of U.S. pregnancies are within 18 months of one another.^{[21]
X
Research source}
4
Do Irish twins look alike? Irish twins don’t look as similar to each other as fraternal twins or identical twins (the latter of which are literally identical), but they still look alike since they share parents. They may not look as much like one another if they’re half-siblings, but they do still look alike.^{[22]
X
Research source}