The Surprisingly Dark History Behind the Term 'Irish Twins'

"There are twins who are Irish, and then there are Irish twins. What makes a pair of twins Irish if it's not their lineage? The term has been gaining newfound traction on TikTok as users dance or pose with their "Irish twin" - with whom they haven't ever shared a womb. The term refers to a pair of siblings born to the same mother who aren't actually twins at all."

"According to the Irish Star, the term didn't originate in Ireland at all. Instead, it has its roots in American discriminatory rhetoric from the 1980s. Contraception was illegal in Ireland from 1935 to 1979. It was then legalized for the sole purpose of family planning, meaning the government still severely restricted who was allowed to use it. Because of this, some Irish Catholic immigrants came to the U.S. with larger families than their new neighbors may have been used to."

Irish twins describes siblings born to the same mother less than twelve months apart, sometimes within eighteen months, who are not biologically twins. The label often denotes sentimental closeness and shared experiences, such as being in the same school grade. The phrase originated in U.S. discriminatory rhetoric in the 1980s that stereotyped frequent births among Irish Catholic immigrants, tied to restrictive contraception laws in Ireland from 1935 to 1979 and limited family planning afterwards. The term once implied lack of birth control and served as an insult. Usage today is often affectionate, but context and historical prejudice affect whether it may be offensive.

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