Who is the most famous relative in your family? For me, it was my grandfather, the president of the local football club and a hotshot in our little community. However, that’s nothing compared to sisters Jenna and Barbara Bush.
After all, their grandfather and father were both presidents of the USA. Now, that’s something no one else can boast about. In fact, there are very few in the world whose grandfather and father have led a nation.
But people are confused about one thing regarding them- even at 41, they are still asked if they are twins. So are they?
Yes, born on November 25, 1981, Jenna and Barbara Bush are twins. But instead of being identical twins, they are fraternal twins. It means that they don’t share the same DNA as identical twins do. As such, they look different and have different personalities as well.
Are Jenna Bush & Barbara Bush Twins?
Most people grow up hearing about only one kind of twins- the identical ones. They often look the exact same and, many times, even end up with similar personalities.
But Jenna and Barbara Bush, the daughters of former USA president George W. Bush and granddaughters of former USA president George H. W. Bush, aren’t identical twins.
Born on November 25, 1981, they are sisters and fraternal twins. The National Human Genome Research Institute describes Fraternal twins as:
“Fraternal twins (dizygotic twins) result from fertilizing two separate eggs with two different sperm during the same pregnancy. Fraternal twins may not have the same sex or appearance. They share half their genomes, just like any other siblings.”
Now, in comparison, in the case of identical twins, a single egg gets fertilized by one sperm, and then that fertilized egg gets split into two offspring. As a result, identical twins always have the same genomes.
Jenna and Barbara Bush look absolutely different from each other. Jenna is blonde and outgoing, whereas Barbara has darker hair and is famously reserved. She rarely makes any televised appearances.
However, as twins, they have their unspoken language. In a 2016 Vanity Fair essay, Barbara wrote:
“(We have) a look that makes one of us fall on the floor laughing or the slight inflection in our voice that conveys everything.”
Also, despite their differences, they came together to write many books. Their first book was published in 2017, called “Sisters First: The Stories from Our Wild and Wonderful Life.” It detailed their childhoods in the Texas countryside and the White House.
Then, they wrote two kids’ books in 2019 and 2022. They were titled “Sisters First” and “The Superpower Sisterhood.” Now, in 2023, they are back with the third book in the line, “Love Comes First.” It will be released on November 7, 2023.
Were you surprised to hear that Jenna and Barbara Bush are twins? After all, they don’t look similar at all. Also, did you ever have a clue that they might be twins?
In the comments below, let us know your thoughts before you knew they were twins.
Source: Vanity Fair and NHGRI
