Most people appreciate symmetry. For example, symmetrical faces are regularly rated "more attractive" than non-symmetrical faces. We also tend to value symmetry when it comes to clothing, cars, furniture, buildings, and many other items.

It's not too surprising, therefore, that some expectant parents are drawn to symmetrical forenames. I'm talking specifically about palindromic names, which can be read the same both forward and backward.

Out of the top 10 baby names in the U.S., can you guess how many are palindromes? Two -- Ava (the fifth most popular name for baby girls) and Hannah (the eighth).

There are also five other palindromic girl names in the current top 1,000: Anna (23rd), Ana (143rd), Elle (480th), Eve (590th) and Ada (715th). For boys, there's only one -- Asa, which ranked 623rd.

If you like palindromic names but would prefer one that's a bit more unusual, there are many out there (like Aviva, Aziza and Otto) that are not currently ranked in the top 1,000. Many longer names can also be truncated to 3-letter palindromes (like Bob, Nan and Viv).

Another creative way to use symmetry is to "flip" a name to create a new name (so that, side by side, the names form a palindrome).

For instance, can the names of any of your family members be reversed to create a new name? You could honor great grandmother Iris with a baby named "Siri," or Uncle Ramon with a baby named "Nomar." (In fact, baseball player Anthony Nomar Garciaparra was named with his father Ramon in mind.)

This approach is even easier for twins, as you're starting from scratch with both names. Two male twins could be Ari and Ira, or Leon and Noel. Two female twins could be Ellen and Nelle, or Aileen and Neelia.

When one twin is male and the other is female, male A-names are a good place to start your search (as they will correspondingly have a feminine ending when flipped). Some good pairings include Aidan/Nadia, Alan/Nala, Allan/Nalla, Allen/Nella, Arik/Kira, Aron/Nora, Axel/Lexa and Aydan/Nadya.