Twin Myths and Fun Twin Facts

There are so many twin myths out there that can really stump people. Female twins cannot have twins themselves, twins have the same fingerprints and so much more! Which ones are true and which ones are just a twin myth? It’s time to get to the bottom of some of these twin myths. We asked friend of The Baby Spot, Gail Harris (who is a twin) and Mom of twin doctors to set the record straight herself on her experience being a twin and having twins! We have also sprinkled some fun twin facts that you may not have even known!

Gail, you are also a twin! Tell us about you and your twin.

A: I have a twin brother who is 6 feet 7.5 inches tall.  He is very easy going and committed to his family and great father to his 3 boys and daughter.  We are both left-handed and played basketball in school.  Being a fraternal twin, we developed our own set of friends, so we are not as close as my twin daughters are.

What are mirror image twins? Tell us why this is so fascinating.

A: Mirror identical are twins whose features appear asymmetrically or on the opposite sides. They have identical but asymmetric physical features and occurs 25% of the time. For example, one twin could be left-handed, and the other could be right-handed. LaToya is left-handed and LaTonya is right-handed, and their fingerprints are the same on opposite hands. 

Gail, please tell us about your twin experiences!

A: My brother and I were extremely close as kids growing up.  We were in the same classes in elementary because I had a difficult time adjusting to not being with him every day.  There was also two other set of twins in our grade and live in the same neighborhood.  They were boy and girl twins as well which allow us to create a special bond which still exist today.

As we grew older and developed our own set of friends and families, we lost a little bit of the closeness but we still have that special connection that lets us know when something is off with the other and will make a call just to check-in.

Twin Myths

MYTH: A twin cannot have twins. It always skips a generation (is this true? please share your awesome experience)

A:  As a kid growing up, I was always told twins could not have twins so when I was told I was having twins, I was in shock.  I could not believe it.  I told my doctor, “I am a twin, I can’t believe I am having twins”.  He quickly told me that was a myth and I was pregnant with twins.  It was 4 sets of twins on my husband side of the family and 3 sets on mine when I was told we would have twins.

MYTH: Twins have OPPOSITE Personalities:

A:  What I have experienced with my twins is their personalities are very similar.  Their personalities just alternate at times

Do Twins have the same fingerprints?

A: Studies shows that 1 in 64 trillion Identical twins would have the same fingerprints. However, their Forensics teacher in high school determined that the girls shared the same fingerprints on opposite hands.

Do Twins feel each other’s pain and anxiety when the other is not there?

A:  I know as a kid growing up, I did.  I remember the day my twin went was scheduled for surgery. My Mom made me go to school that day.  My grandmother had to come and pick me up because I got sick just about the time, he was entering the surgery room.

Tell us about twin telepathy. Do you believe twins can finish each other’s sentences and be really in synch?

A:  My girls still do it today.  At times, I feel like I am watching a tennis match because one starts and then the other jumps in to finish the sentence.  I remember one day LaTonya was in the kitchen with me, LaToya came downstairs and said she had to get something out of her car. LaTonya began to sing a song and at the very moment LaToya came back inside they were singing the exact same lyrics.  We all looked at each other and said, “whoa”.

Did your twins have a secret language?

A:  Yes, I believe they do.  I remember when the girls were about a year old, they would have a language with each other that my husband and I did not understand at times. One would say something and the other would respond.  It was the strangest thing.

What were the biggest surprises as a twin that you experienced with twins?

A:  I think the biggest surprise as a twin that I have experienced is that I could have twins being a twin.  It has been the most rewarding surprise ever!

Top Celebrities That Are Twins

Did you know about all of these celebrities that are actually twins? Some celebrities are identical twins or fraternal twins. We were surprised to learn that some of our favorite actors and actresses actually have a twin. Here are some that made our list.

Vin Diesel and Paul Vincent

Yes, Vin Diesel is a twin! Paul Vincent and Vin Diesel are twins. Though Vin keeps his life very private, he does make mention of his wonderful brother Paul on his Instagram.

Scarlett Johansson and Hunter Johansson

Celebrated actress Scarlett Johansson does not only blow us away with her preformaces (Marriage Story was incredible), but she also is a twin to Hunter Johansson, who is an actor and on Entertainment Tonight. These twins both have incredible careers.

Ashton Kutcher and Michael Kutcher

Ashton Kutcher is a famous actor and also has a twin brother named Michael! Michael and Ashton are very close and are a famous pair of twins.