How many people reading this know that there are seven different types of twins? That’s right, seven!
Most people are aware of two types — identical (monozygotic) and fraternal (dizygotic). So, what separates one type of set of twins from another set?
Let’s start with the most common type of twins, identical and fraternal.
- Identical twins are formed by one fertilized egg that splits into two and are always the same gender.
- Fraternal twins are created when two eggs are fertilized and aside from can be different genders and even have different blood types. Sororal is the term used for female fraternal twins.
- Superfetation twins occur when a woman gets pregnant while carrying another baby in the womb
- Superfecundation twins occur when a woman is impregnated by two different men over the course of ovulation.
- Half Identical twins are born sharing half of their genes in common.
- Mirror Image twins are identified by observation only and is when identical twins have the exact same birth mark, hair part, etc.
- Mixed Chromosome twins are the rarest form of twins and they are a result of two separate eggs and two separate sperm fusing together to create different chromosomes.
And while identical and fraternal twins are the most common, according to Better Health, “twins account for over 90 per cent of multiple births.”
Here we uncover 15 pictures or twins so identical we are really freaking out! Though these sets of twins are not all identical, they sure do look like! Let The freak out begin.
15 Seeing Double?
Known as the “World’s Most Identical Twins” may be accurate for the Aussie sisters now, but that wasn’t always the case!
30-year-old Perth natives, Lucy and Anna DeCinque have gone to great expenses to remain identical as they age. Dropping more than a quarter million dollars to ensure they stay looking the same, the DeCinque twins have gone under the knife for the exact same procedures.
Recently, even a computer failed to spot any differences between the two.
A little unorthodox, the inseparable twins even eat the same type and amount of food at each meal, work out together and even share the same boyfriend! Yes, the S-A-M-E boyfriend. We’re not sure how that all quite works but congratulations to you both on being the world’s most identical twins!
14 Drotini Duo
Isabella and Mia, the famed and beautiful, blue-eyed Instagram stars are daughters of Fijian-born David Drotini and Australian beauty Brooke Iseppi, one of four fashion-forward sisters who together, run a blogging business. Born on January 25, 2013, these four-year-old girls have risen to fame in a short period of time, with Brooke’s account boasting 1.2 million followers and David’s at nearly 200,000 followers on Instagram.
So how do their parents tell them apart? On the Iseppi Sisters website, Brooke shares that “Bella is bigger than Mia by about 1.5kgs and has a rounder face. Mia has a tiny birthmark on her back and has a slimmer face.”
In fact, twins run on both sides of the family, Brooke divulges, “My poppy on my mum's side was a fraternal (boy/girl) twin, my grandma on my dad's side had fraternal (girl/girl) twins. David’s aunty in Fiji had three sets of twins.”
Go figure!
13 Charly Boys
Known as the 2 Yung Kings on Instagram with more than 160,000 followers, this mommy-managed pair hail from London, England and take trendsetting and twinning to a whole new level!
2 Yung Kings AKA “M” and “D” AKA Michael and Daniel Flora, are setting the bar high for toddler fashion. From their obvious comfort in front of the camera, to their distinguished ensembles and signature dreadlocks, this dynamic duo are highly talked about around the world.
So, do how do they like modelling for mama? Well, in a MailOnline article, their mum Jane shared that “they love smart outfits. If they are dressed up in a shirt and blazer, you can immediately see them slip into character and start posing with their hands in their pockets. They have great fun experimenting with new styles.”
12 Heder Take Two
Rising to fame in 2004’s Napoleon Dynamite, Jon Heder brought the 80s back like no other in this off-side comedy that covers everything from sweet dance moves, to glamour shots, to dune buggies and karate. On the heels of this box office hit, many people did not know that Jon Heder has an identical twin named Dan.
Also in the entertainment business, Dan Heder primarily stays behind the scenes, working as an animator and producer in Hollywood, though he has acted in a few short films. Currently the twins own a production company and have worked together on multiple projects, like the animated film Monster House.
Born in Colorado in 1977 to a traditional Mormon family, Jon and Dan grew up in Salem Oregon and are two of six children.
11 Grady Sisters
Perhaps the most famous twins in the history of Hollywood, the fictional Grady sisters, from the 1980 flick The Shining, made a name for themselves thanks to actresses and twins, Lisa and Louise Burns.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, the twins revealed “how Nicholson, despite his maniacal performance and playboy reputation, acted as a father-figure and mentor for the then 10-year-old girls from London, England.”
Working with the legendary Stanley Kubrick was a highlight for the sisters too. In the same interview the two sisters said they “relished every moment working at Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire, England with the legendary filmmaker.”
The Grady errrr…. Burns twins have come a long way since their time on the silver screen. Now in their late 40s Lisa is a lawyer and Louise is a published scientist.
10 Sister Sister
These identical twin sisters really are identical!
Tia and Tamera Mowry were separated at birth, but only in the hit 1990s series Sister Sister that ran for six seasons. In real life, this talented twosome were actually born in Germany!
With a father of English descent and their mother of Afro-Bahamian heritage, this family’s multicultural depth also boasts fabulous genes! And, with two little brothers also in the entertainment business, in hindsight, it proved to be a very smart decision for the Mowry parents to move their kids across the world, to the United States.
The kids in this family are certainly a quadruple threat, with careers that span the entertainment industry in film, television, music and the Mowry sisters even own their own production studio, Twilight Productions!
Hint — one way to tell the twins apart is Tamera's signature mole on her left cheek.
9 A Pair Of Ginger Gents
British brothers James and Oliver Phelps are famously known for their breakout roles in the year 2000 as Fred and George Weasley in the wildly popular Harry Potter franchise that has since developed a cult following. According to Celebrity Net Worth, both twins are millionaires! Not surprising considering the three movies in the series grossed 1.3 billion dollars, not too shabby!
In an interview with The Guardian they admitted that “going on set as ‘the twins’ felt like a step backwards. They had spent the last few years at secondary school carefully carving out their own identities, separated for the first time and making their own friends; now they were known as the twins again, this time on a global scale. For one thing, they had to look the same, something they had always fought against.”
Just six years after the last installment, both men are now standing even taller at 6 foot 3 inches, the twins have since traded in their signature ginger hair colours for the movie, returning to their darker locks and finding their own identities.
8 Vintage Twins
Famed photographer Diane Arbus, shot this now infamous photo of Cathleen and Colleen Wade in Roselle, New Jersey in 1967. Appropriately coined “Identical Twins” this photograph was one of the tamer images Arbus shot in her career. Known for taking pictures of people who were labelled obscure and unusual during that era, Arbus feared she would only be remembered for snapping photos of ‘freaks.’
According to A Rolling Crone, a print of the photograph “was sold at auction for $478,000 in 2004 and a couple of months ago [there was] another one at the AIPAD photography show in New York that was priced at around $275,000 for a tiny print with Arbus’s notes on the back.”
Arbus originally met the twins at a Christmas party held by the Suburban Mothers of Twins and Triplets Club in Roselle, and she’d been to similar parties in the past, where she shot a famous photo of triplets.
Important to note that the “twin girls who are the subjects of what would become Arbus’s most famous photograph cannot be surmised or teased from their image” according to Literary Hub.
Images can be deceiving as the article further states that “nothing in the picture would let you know that Colleen and Cathleen Wade were two of eight children of a white-collar worker in the employee relations division of the Esso Research and Engineering Company (later rebranded as Exxon).”
7 Olsen Twins
Rising to stardom on the cult television classic Full House, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were cast on the show at the age of just six months and at nine months, began filming.
The girls collectively played the role of Michelle Tanner, working together for many years as Michelle’s character, a sassy San Francisco native who coined popular phrases like “You got it, dude,” “This is nuts,” and “You’re in big trouble, mister.”
The show credited the pair as one actress, “Mary-Kate Ashley Olsen” for many years and it wasn’t until the eighth and final season of the sitcom, that the twins were credited separately as "Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen." It’s important for twins to have their own identity and we are happy that the reruns of the show still airing today identify the twins as separate people in the revised opening credits.
And, for years, no one could tell the twins apart!
Seemingly identical, did you know Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen are actually sororal twins? They’ve grown into their own unique personalities, these twins remain close, running a fashion empire and proving to be extremely smart business women.
6 Aaron And Shawn Ashmore
Canadian-born Aaron and Shawn Ashmore are identical twins who both found their calling in show business — they’re both famous actors!
Older by one minute, Aaron is best known for his small screen roles in made-for-television movies and series like Killjoys, Smallville, CSI: New York and Are You Afraid of the Dark? Brother Shawn is widely recognized for his work on both the big and small screens, playing characters in the X-Men movie franchise and for his dramatic roles in The Following and most recently, Conviction.
Unlike many identical twins who have slight differences like freckles or birthmarks, the Ashmore brothers are truly identical! So, how do we tell them apart? We think Aaron often looks more mischievous in photos while Shawn’s facial expressions are more serious. What do you think? Can you tell the Ashmore brother’s apart?
5 Sweet Valley High Twins
Cynthia Daniel AKA Elizabeth Wakefield and identical twin Brittany Daniel AKA Jessica Wakefield are best known for their work in Sweet Valley High, a popular syndicated television series franchise.
Born in 1976, the southern sweethearts hail from Florida and began modelling at the age of 11 and caught the attention of many when they scored a contract for the “Doublemint Twins” commercials and became the poster girls for the gum empire.
Though the two remain close, Cynthia opted to bow out of the spotlight, ending her 13-year acting career in 2002, to become a photographer. Sister Brittany on the other hand is still very much in the spotlight, most recently guest-starring on the comedy smash hit Blackish and on the big screen in Joe Dirt 2.
4 London’s Calling
Jason and Jeremy London, another set of identical twins who rose to fame in the 1990s,
Though they are identical, did you know that in 1996 Jason was named one of the “50 Most Beautiful People in the World” and continues to act with a whopping 14 million net worth. Jeremy’s reported net worth is much less at $100,000.
Though both have been caught up with the law, Jeremy is more widely recognized as the wildcard, has had more than his share of run-ins with the police over the years. Jeremy’s reputation of a once fun-loving, young and talented actor has been marred by headlines about being kidnapped, drunk-driving and court cases involving his family.
It’s been reported that the brothers are now estranged, but we’re suckers for a happy-ending and are rooting for their twin bond to strengthen in the future.
3 Suite Life Twins
Did you know that these twins were born in Italy?
Dylan and Cole Sprouse, known as the Sprouse Bros were made famous thanks to their first role on the silver screen in Adam Sandler’s Big Daddy, from there the twins were cast for multiple movies and series, most notable The Suite Life television turned movie franchise.
In 2010, the twins were named Disney’s highest-paid teenage television actors, each raking in a cool $40,000 per episode.
For 18 year’s they have acted both together and separately and from 2011 to 2015, the twins both attended and graduated from New York University.
Fun fact! You may be surprised to learn that Cole Sprouse actually plays Jughead on the new hit series Riverdale. He’s almost unrecognizable with that dark hair!
2 Separated At Birth
Adopted into two different families, Gracie Rainsberry of Washington and Audrey Doering of Wisconsin were able to live together for a short period of time when they were fostered as infants in their homeland of China.
According to PEOPLE magazine “Jennifer Doering, Audrey’s mother, was the one to discover her daughter may have a sibling in the world. As she was doing research on her daughter’s past, she came across a photo of her daughter as a baby on the lap of her foster mother — and a nearly identical baby beside her.”
Thanks to social media, the long lost identical twins were reunited shortly thereafter on Good Morning America, in January of this year.
The identical twins soon discovered, they share a favourite food — Chicken Alfredo!
1 Who’s Who?
It seems fitting to come full circle and end with a new famous set of twins regularly appearing on the Full House sequel, Fuller House.
Fox and Dashiell Messitt are the new twins in town who collectively play DJ Tanner’s youngest son Tommy Fuller Jr. Born in Glendale, California, these handsome devils started modelling as infants and appeared in an episode of Kirby Buckets and also in a commercial.
At only seven-months-old, the boys jumped right into action on the Fuller House set. And for the producers of the show it was no accident in casting the youngest character as twins, similar to the role of Michelle Tanner played by both Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.
We loved these little guys in the first season and think they did an incredible job in the second season too!
Sources: Us Magazine, Hello Canada