The Royal Family Tree Is the Most Useful Place to Look for Baby Name Inspiration
If you're looking for baby-name inspiration, the Royal Family is always a good place to start. Not only is the British royal family tree bursting with all-time classic names, the Royals also set the curve when it comes to naming trends. For example, according to othe Social Security Administration (SSA), which keeps a list of the most popular baby names in the United States, the name Archie rose 316 places between 2018 and 2019 — the year Harry and Meghan chose it for their son. And, unlike celebrity baby names, royals tend to choose baby names that may be uncommon, but aren't too wacky. If you're stumped for names for your baby boy or baby girl, see if any of these names cribbed from the Royals have any appeal.
August
Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank announced that they named their first son August — right around the time that Mandy Moore announced she'd chosen the same name for her son with Taylor Goldsmith. It's not a coincidence: The SSA notes that the popularity of the name has been steadily climbing since the year 2000, when it was No. 163 on the list of most popular names. Now, the name, which means "majestic," is No. 167.
Archie
The newest royal's full name is Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, if Archie doesn't do it for you alone. "Harrison," after all, falls in line with the trend of using last names as boy first names, like Cooper, Mason and Jackson.
Whether intentional or not, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle chose a royal moniker that embodies a couple of other hot naming trends for boys, including using retro nicknames as first names (think Ace or Skip) and using "old-man" names for babies.
Louis
For their youngest, Prince William and Kate Middleton chose a name that means "renowned warrior." The female version of the name, Louise, can also be found in the family tree, most recently in Lady Louise Windsor, the daughter of Prince Edward.
Charlotte
The youngest princess definitely caused a bump in popularity for her name: Since 2015, when she was born, the name has climbed from the No. 9 position to the No. 6 position on the SSA list of the most popular baby names.
George
The name George reaches far into the roots of the family tree: King George I ruled way back in 1714. There have been many Georges since — Queen Elizabeth's father was King George VI.
Meaghan
Meaghan has been experiencing a resurgence: Shortly after the Meghan/Harry wedding, the SSA tagged Meghan as one of the fastest-rising name for girls.
Harry
The Duke of Sussex is one of the rare cases where royalty does no favor for his name: In the United States, Harry (ranked No. 620) — the name he always goes by — is currently considerably less popular than the Duke's given name, Henry (ranked No. 16).
Catherine
The full name of the Duchess of Cambridge is a wellspring of name inspiration because there are so many nicknames associated with Catherine/Katherine, including Cathy/Kathy, Catie/Katie, Cate/Kate and Cat/Kat. It's great for those who like the idea of their child choosing their own nickname as they get older.
William
One of those all-time classic names, William continues to be popular, and it's currently the No. 4 baby boy name in the United States. But it's an Irish twist on the name — Liam — that's in the top spot right now. According to baby-naming site Nameberry, Liam originated as a nickname for Uilliam, the Irish variation of William.
Eugenie
While the name Eugenie isn't entirely mainstream this side of the pond — it hasn't even cracked the top 1,000 names on the SSA list — it's appropriate for the rarified air of the eldest daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson royal family: the name means "wellborn."
Beatrice
Eugenie's sister, Beatrice, is the most recently married: She and her fiancé, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, wed in July in 2020. And she has a fitting name for such an uplifting occasion, since Beatrice means "she who brings happiness."
James
James Viscount Severn is the youngest child of Prince Edward. But this is another royal name that, though it still feels contemporary, is very, very old: King James I's reign started in 1603 (as you know from watching 2018's Mary, Queen of Scots film).
Peter
Queen Elizabeth II's eldest grandchild has a name that's as Biblical as it is royal; many choose the name after Saint Peter, who watches over the gates of Heaven.
Zara
Zara comes from Zara Philips Tindall, the youngest child of Princess Anne, an accomplished equestrian. And, while she doesn't hold an official royal title, her name is an unofficial one: Zara — like Sarah (hello, Sarah Ferguson) — means "princess."
Diana
The name of course belongs to Diana, Princess of Wales — and it's shared with Princess Charlotte, whose full name is Charlotte Elizabeth Diana.
The name itself is taken from a Roman goddess. Diana was goddess of the moon, hunting, forests, and — for all those moms out there — childbirth.
Edward
Unfortunately for Prince Edward, the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II, the name Edward peaked in popularity in the year 200o and has been falling ever since. Then again, this is probably more tied to the popularity of Twilight than any opinion of the royal family.
Andrew
Another New Testament name, Andrew is biblically the first apostle of Jesus. In Greek, the name means "strong, manly and courageous."
Anne
While the name Anne belongs to Queen Elizabeth II's only daughter, her namesake had some time in the spotlight recently: Earlier this year, Olivia Colman won the Academy Award for her portrayal of Queen Anne — the one from the 1700s — in The Favourite.
Charles
Prince Charles is next in line for the throne, but the first King Charles reigned in 1600. The name has been associated with royalty for longer than that: Charlemagne, ruler of the Roman Empire in the year 800, was also a Charles.
Philip
No wonder there are so many equestrians in the Royal Family: Philip (as in the husband of Queen Elizabeth II) means "lover of horses."
Elizabeth
There is no name more regal than Elizabeth, the name given to the current Queen. Right now, the name, which means "pledged to God," is hovering just outside of the top 10 most popular names in the United States. Will we see a resurgence in 2020?
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