Spring is right around the corner and so is the arrival of the newest member of the House of Windsor.
While Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle’s pregnancy announcement on October 15, 2018 marked the official start of #BumpWatch just as they embarked on a Royal Tour of Australasia, it also ignited rampant speculation about everything from when exactly Baby Sussex will be born (it’s sometime in April, FYI) to whether the duo will raise it part-time in Meghan’s native California (they won’t, especially now that Meghan has British citizenship). In recent weeks, reports have even been circulating stating that the couple – who have been known to shirk royal protocol on occasion – has hired a birthing specialist, which would mark the first time a doula was directly involved in a royal birth. (No word yet, however, on what Her Majesty thinks of the decision).
As fascinating as that doula tidbit is (if true), it’s actually the “name game” we commoners are more invested in. Forget office pools for your Oscars predictions – this year it’s all about placing your odds on what Harry and Meghan will name Baby Sussex.
As we’ve witnessed throughout history, royals tend to refer back to their own extensive family trees and frequently stick to traditional, tried-and-true monikers when it comes to naming their offspring. For all the “royal rules” Meghan Markle has broken along the way as she adjusts to her new role as a Duchess (black nail polish! messy buns! closing her own car door!), it’s safe to say that she and Harry will err on the side of caution and fall in line when selecting a name. That being said, think of all royal watchers who once bet their hard-earned dollars on the odds that Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge would opt for the names Charles or Philip for their third child. Instead, William and Kate went for the more French-sounding Louis instead (it’s hard to fathom anyone pocketing any money after that surprise name reveal).
This is where Expedia comes into play with their recent report on the most popular royal names from the last 200 years. Although the names Victoria and Albert topped the list for girls and boys names, the statistics pointed to a couple of surprises, too, as the analysts took into account popular names from European royal families in Norway, Sweden and Denmark, as well.
Research reveals that, following closely on the heels of Victoria, Mary is the next most frequently used name among British and European royal families. The two names come out ahead of Louise, Alexandra and Elizabeth to round out the top five. Further down the list, tied for ninth place, is the decidedly less common Olga, Helene, Augusta and Agnes.
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The boys’ list, however, veers more toward the traditional. Behind Albert, the most popular pick is George – although it’s unlikely Harry and Meghan would select this moniker as it’s already the name of William and Kate’s eldest son (and future king), Prince George. Rounding out the top five are Charles, Edward and Christian.
If Baby Sussex is a girl, however, we shouldn’t rule out the name Diana. Granted, it didn’t appear in Expedia’s research, but it has special significance to Harry and Britain, in general. Many royal watchers are still surprised that William and Kate went with Charlotte for their daughter (although Diana does appear as one of the many middle names for the little princess). It’s entirely feasible that Harry – who was bumped down to a distant sixth in line to the throne following the birth of Prince Louis in 2018 – will opt to pay tribute to his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, by selecting the name for his newborn daughter (should he have one).
According to the most recent reports on betting odds, it looks like Victoria and Arthur are currently in the lead, but only time will tell.
Here is the full list of the top eight royal baby names for each sex:
GIRLS
Victoria, used 9 times
Mary, used 7 times
Louise, used 6 times
Alexandra, used 6 times
Elizabeth, used 5 times
Alice, used 4 times
Margaret, used 3 times
Charlotte, used 3 times
BOYS
Albert, used 12 times
George, used 10 times
Charles, used 8 times
Edward, used 7 times
Christian, used 5 times
Frederick, used 5 times
Louis, used 5 times
Arthur, used 5 times
