Baby names with connections to British royalty

Written by:
September 1, 2019
Matt Dunham - WPA Pool // Getty Images

Baby names with connections to British royalty

On May 6, 2019, Master Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor was born. The first child of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the young royal is now seventh in the line of succession to the British throne. As with any royal birth, speculation around the baby’s name ran rampant in the months leading up to his arrival. British bookies had been taking bets on what the duke and duchess of Sussex would name their bundle of joy, with monikers like Arthur, Albert, and Philip leading the pack. In fact, before the official announcement, Archie was the long shot with 100-to-1 odds.

Betting on what the royal family might name their newborn isn’t quite as complicated as it might seem. Potential names aren’t just drawn out of a hat at random. For royals, heritage and tradition are very important. As such they tend to use the same handful of names over and over again. In honor of the new royal baby this past spring, Expedia compiled a list of the 40 most popular names for British royals in the past 200 years, going back to Queen Victoria.

Below, Stacker has ranked these 40 names by their popularity in America in 2018, using data from the Social Security Administration. As many of the names on this list have appeared multiple times within the last 200 years, at various points of succession, we’ve chosen to highlight some of the most unique, important, or notable members of the British family to bear the name.

From royals with ties to the Romanoffs to the newest generation of Mountbatten-Windsors, you’re sure to learn something new about the most beloved royal family in the world. 

You may also like: Baby names that have faded into obscurity

#40. Friederike

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 2
- Rank in the U.S.: N/A (less than 5 babies born in 2018)

Princess Friederike was a descendant of Queen Victoria. Although she grew up in Germany and quite separate from the rest of the royal family, she still had to request the permission of King George VI to marry, in accordance with the Royal Marriages Act of 1772. When her husband, King Paul I, assumed the Greek throne in 1948 upon his brother’s death, Friederike became the queen consort.

#39. Maud

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 2
- Rank in the U.S.: #15,589 (5 babies born in 2018)

Christened Maud Charlotte Mary Victoria, Princess Maud of Wales was the youngest daughter of King Edward VII. Born in 1869, Maud was dubbed “Harry” by her family members. In 1896, she married Prince Carl of Denmark, and upon his inauguration in 1905, she became Queen Maud of Norway.

#38. Auguste

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 2
- Rank in the U.S.: #5,284 (17 babies born in 2018)

George IV ( christened George Frederick Augustus) reigned for 10 years from 1820 until his death in 1830. A heavy drinker with a gambling problem, the king was not particularly liked by his subjects, who saw his extravagance as a disgrace to the throne. His second middle name, Augustus, is a version of Auguste, which means “great” or “magnificent.”

#37. Helene

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 2
- Rank in the U.S.: #5,588 (22 babies born in 2018)

Princess Helena ( a version of the name Helene, meaning “light”) was the third daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Born in 1846, she was known for her artistic flair and emotional nature. As an adult, Helena married Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein and became a founding member of the Ladies Committee of the British Red Cross. She also spent a significant amount of time translating her father’s letters from German to English so that they could be published in his biography.

#36. Olga

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 2
- Rank in the U.S.: #3,138 (51 babies born in 2018)

Many fail to realize how interconnected European royalty really is. For example, Princess Olga Romanoff, who currently resides in Kent, is the great-niece of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, who was first cousins with King George V. Olga’s father, Prince Andrei Alexandrovich, was the only member of the Russian royal family to escape, catching a ride of a British naval frigate and settling in England to raise his family. This means that Princess Olga is the last known surviving Romanoff and cousin to the Windsors, who currently sit on the throne.

#35. Augusta

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 2
- Rank in the U.S.: #2,944 (55 babies born in 2018)

Born in 1737, Princess Augusta had the misfortune of preceding the Succession to the Crown Act by 278 years. This means that she was overtaken in the line of succession by her brother, King George III, unlike Princess Charlotte of Cambridge who will not be overtaken by her younger brother Prince Louis of Cambridge. Princess Augusta’s legacy lies mostly in her seven children, one of which became Caroline of Brunswick, the jilted Queen of King George IV.

#34. Antony

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 2
- Rank in the U.S.: #1,813 (83 babies born in 2018)

Born a commoner, Antony Armstrong-Jones married Princess Margaret, the sister of Queen Elizabeth II, in 1960 and was titled the Earl of Snowden. A world-renowned photographer, he worked as the picture editor for “The Sunday Times” magazine and became the first commoner in four-and-a-half centuries to marry a king’s daughter. In 1978, after the birth of their two children, the Earl of Snowden and Princess Margaret were divorced.

#33. Agnes

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 2
- Rank in the U.S.: #1,204 (195 babies born in 2018)

The longtime mistress of King Edward VII, Agnes Keyser was not actually a royal herself but mingled among them regularly. Well accepted and liked, Agnes was even friends with King Edward’s wife, Alexandra of Denmark. She remained a member of the king’s entourage until his death in 1910.

#32. Ernest

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 2
- Rank in the U.S.: #976 (210 babies born in 2018)

Prince Ernest, Duke of Cumberland, was the son of George III and Queen Charlotte. He lived a life of scandal—rumors followed him alleging that he’d done things like murder his valet, father a child with his younger sister, Sophia, and hatch a plot to murder the future Queen Victoria in an attempt to take over the line of succession. While his character was generally regarded as “wicked,” “dark,” and “unsettling,” the people of Hannover (where he did assume the throne in 1837) loved him, and he became immensely popular during his 14-year rule.

#31. Louise

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 6
- Rank in the U.S.: #800 (339 babies born in 2018)

Currently 13th in line to the British throne, Lady Louise Windsor is the teenage daughter of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, and Sophie, Countess of Wessex. A granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II, Lady Louise has been raised mostly out of the public eye. However, in 2011, she served as a bridesmaid in Prince William and Kate Middleton’s royal wedding.

#30. Douglas

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 2
- Rank in the U.S.: #672 (371 babies born in 2018)

An uncommonly independent member of the royal family, Princess Alice Christabel Montagu Douglas Scott, Duchess of Gloucester married into royalty at the age of 34. Her union with Prince Henry followed years of travel to exotic locations like India and Africa and time spent working at a gallery on Bond Street. Famous for her distaste for society, Queen Elizabeth’s aunt died in 2004 just before her 103rd birthday.

#29. Louisa

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 2
- Rank in the U.S.: #732 (381 babies born in 2018)

At 19 years old, Princess Louisa, the daughter of the future King George II and Caroline of Ansbach, married the Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Norway. She would go on to become Queen of Denmark after her husband’s inauguration in 1746. Her reign was short, however, and she died at the age of 27 due to the same childbirth complications that took her mother’s life decades before.

#28. Frederick

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 5
- Rank in the U.S.: #496 (575 babies born in 2018)

There have been three notable Fredericks in the British royal family, and while all of them have been heirs to the throne, none of them ever became king. Frederick Lewis, Prince of Wales was King George II’s heir, but he died at the age of 44, and it was his son, King George III, who eventually became monarch. Frederick Agustus, Duke of York was George III’s second son; he was heir to his elder brother, George IV, but died three years before the king and never assumed the throne himself. Finally, Henry Fredrick, Prince of Wales was the eldest son of King James I of England, and he died at 18 before assuming the crown.

#27. Francis

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 2
- Rank in the U.S.: #480 (606 babies born in 2018)

An Austrian-born nobleman, Francis, Duke of Teck married Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge in 1866. The couple went on to have four children, including Princess Mary who married King George V and became Queen Mary. Francis, Duke of Teck, therefore, became the great grandfather to the current monarch, Queen Elizabeth II.

#26. Augustus

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 2
- Rank in the U.S.: #460 (630 babies born in 2018)

A grandson of King George III, Augustus d’Este was the son of Prince Augustus Frederick and Lady Augusta Murray. While his parents were married in the church of England, their marriage was declared in defiance of the Royal Marriages Act of 1772 and therefore was deemed null and void by the crown. As such, Agustus d’Este was proclaimed illegitimate and was removed from the line of succession. Instead, he went down in history as the earliest known person for which a definite diagnosis of multiple sclerosis could be determined.

#25. Albert

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 12
- Rank in the U.S.: #452 (657 babies born in 2018)

One-half of what is perhaps the British monarchy’s most famous love story, Prince Albert was married to his first cousin, Queen Victoria, in 1840. While he was stylized “His Royal Highness,” the Prince was never given official duties or responsibilities. Instead, he effectively acted as the Queen’s private secretary and was deeply involved in family life with his nine children. Interestingly, Albert, Prince Consort, is often credited with the popularizing the Christmas tree.

#24. Helena

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 2
- Rank in the U.S.: #458 (681 babies born in 2018)

Prince Andrew’s daughter, Princess Eugenie Victoria Helena, is 10th in the line of succession for the British throne. At the age of 12, she underwent surgery to correct scoliosis. An outspoken advocate for scoliosis, when she married Mr. Jack Brooksbank in 2018, she ensured that her low-backed gown would show off her scar, a moving gesture for many who suffer from the condition.

#23. Philip

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 3
- Rank in the U.S.: #439 (683 babies born in 2018)

There have been many Philips in the history of the British monarchy, but the most recent royal to bear the name is Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Born into Greece and Denmark’s royal families, Prince Philip saw active service during World War II as a member of the British Royal Navy. In 1947, he married Queen Elizabeth II, and in 2009, 57 years after Queen Elizabeth was crowned, he became the longest-serving British consort (companion to a sovereign).

#22. Louis

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 5
- Rank in the U.S.: #263 (1,368 babies born in 2018)

The name Louis has long been identified more with French royalty than British. However, with the birth of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s second son, Prince Louis Arthur Charles, the name is getting new life in the royal family. The young royal is currently fifth in line to the throne, and, due to the Succession to the Crown Act, is the first prince in the history of the country to be ranked in line behind his sister

#21. Diana

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 2
- Rank in the U.S.: #184 (1,605 babies born in 2018)

One of the royal family’s most famous and beloved members, Princess Diana was known as “ the People’s Princess.” A tabloid favorite, her wedding to Prince Charles in 1981 was called “the wedding of the century,” and when she died 16 years later in 1997, millions turned out to attend her funeral procession. Surprisingly, only a small number of today’s royal watchers know that the future Princess of Wales actually grew up with the royal family—she was childhood playmates with Prince Andrew.

#20. Arthur

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 5
- Rank in the U.S.: #229 (1,642 babies born in 2018)

The seventh child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, Prince Arthur was far and away his mother’s favorite. The Queen once wrote: “This child is dear, dearer than any of the others put together, [after Albert] the dearest and most precious object to me on earth.” As an adult, Prince Arthur had a 40-year military career, and in 1911 was appointed the Governor General of Canada, making him the only Prince to ever hold that title.

#19. Patrick

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 2
- Rank in the U.S.: #189 (2,111 babies born in 2018)

Just as there are dozens of traditional first names for members of the royal family, there is also a slew of traditional middle names. Patrick is a prime example of the latter. One of Edward VIII’s seven names (he was christened Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David), the name means “nobleman.”

#18. Edward

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 7
- Rank in the U.S.: #169 (2,268 babies born in 2018)

The only modern-day royal to abdicate the throne, Prince Edward caused an international stir when he gave up his title in order to marry the thrice-divorced Wallis Simpson. After surrendering his crown to his brother, King George VI, Prince Edward became the Duke of Windsor and spent the rest of his life abroad, returning only a handful of times to visit family. His actions as a Duke, including a meeting with Adolf Hitler in 1937, raised plenty of eyebrows and have kept conspiracy theories swirling around the couple for decades.

#17. Margaret

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 3
- Rank in the U.S.: #127 (2,312 babies born in 2018)

The younger sister of Queen Elizabeth, Princess Margaret was known for her rebellious nature and party-girl ways. The princess was fond of the drink, smoked like a chimney, hung around with the day’s celebrities, and had several affairs with married men. When she eventually settled down, marrying photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones, her wedding ceremony was the first royal wedding to be televised, with around 300 million people tuning in to watch the festivities. Princess Margaret died in 2002, at the age of 71, after suffering a stroke.

#16. Mary

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 7
- Rank in the U.S.: #126 (2,327 babies born in 2018)

Mary of Teck married Prince George in 1893, and upon his coronation in 1910 (and subsequent name change to King George V) became Queen Consort. She was a staunch supporter of her husband during World War I and subsequent fallouts like Irish and Indian nationalism. After his death in 1936, she became the Queen Mother and supported her second son, Albert (aka King George VI) as he assumed the role of King after his brother Edward’s abdication.

#15. Alexandra

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 6
- Rank in the U.S.: #125 (2,394 babies born in 2018)

Currently 53rd in line to the British throne, Princess Alexandra is Queen Elizabeth’s first cousin and a valued working member of the royal family. Currently patron to over 100 different organizations, the princess has been carrying out the Queen’s work for over six decades. In early 2019 it was announced that Alexandra was preparing to step aside from royal duties following a number of health issues.

#14. George

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 10
- Rank in the U.S.: #127 (3,059 babies born in 2018)

One of the most popular names among the British royal family, there have been a number of King Georges in recent times. The newest family member to bear the name is Prince George, son of Prince William and Kate Middleton, who is third in line to the throne. Now six years old, Prince George is preparing to start first grade, undertaking the necessary education for a future monarch.

#13. Alice

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 4
- Rank in the U.S.: #71 (3,643 babies born in 2018)

Queen Victoria plucked the name Alice out of almost certain obscurity when she named her second daughter Alice Maud Mary. It’s reported that the inspiration had come from Lord Melbourne, the queen’s prime minister, who had once told her that it was his favorite name. As an adult, the princess befriended Florence Nightingale, and the duo worked to improve medical care within the country.

#12. Caroline

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 2
- Rank in the U.S.: #55 (4,136 babies born in 2018)

The most recent Princess Caroline was born in 1713 to King George II and Caroline of Ansbach. While the name has fallen by the wayside for modern-day royals, it was often cited as a possible name for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s first child.

#11. Christian

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 5
- Rank in the U.S.: #55 (6,509 babies born in 2018)

More commonly chosen as a middle name than a first name, Christian has popped up in several royal monikers. For example, the second son of Queen Elizabeth was christened Prince Andrew Albert Christian Edward Mountbatten-Windsor. The name, unsurprisingly, means follower of Christ.

#10. Charles

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 8
- Rank in the U.S.: #52 (6,604 babies born in 2018)

The longest-serving British monarch-in-waiting, Prince Charles has been the heir apparent since his grandfather’s death in 1952. The twice-married prince is also the first royal heir to earn a university degree. He is a patron of over 400 organizations but has still been able to maintain a somewhat private life and several private interests—in 1975 he became a member of the Magic Circle, a society for magicians.

#9. Victoria

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 9
- Rank in the U.S.: #21 (7,089 babies born in 2018)

Until she was passed by her great-great-granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth, in 2015, Queen Victoria held the title for the longest-reigning monarch: 63 years. Victoria became queen at the age of 18. For a length of time after the death of her beloved husband, Albert, Queen Victoria all but withdrew from public life, only choosing to meet with her ministers and official visitors within the privacy of the castle. Several attempts were made on her life during her reign, but ultimately she died peacefully at Osborne House at the age of 81.

#8. Andrew

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 2
- Rank in the U.S.: #43 (7,234 babies born in 2018)

Until recently, Prince Andrew, the queen’s second son—and eighth in line for the throne—was best known for his marriage to (and scandalous divorce from) Sarah Ferguson. However, during the summer of 2019, his name continually popped up in connection to the Jeffery Epstein scandal. The palace has continually denied any inappropriate involvement with the disgraced financier.

#7. Elizabeth

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 5
- Rank in the U.S.: #13 (8,513 babies born in 2018)

At 25 years of age, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was crowned, becoming Queen Elizabeth II. Hers was the first coronation to be televised, although the cameras weren’t allowed to show any closeups of the new monarch’s face. On September 9, 2015, Queen Elizabeth became the longest-reigning monarch in all of British history. 2019 marks 67 years of the queen’s reign.

#6. John

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 3
- Rank in the U.S.: #27 (9,119 babies born in 2018)

Born John Charles Francis, Prince John was King George V’s youngest son. At the age of four he suffered his first seizure, and shortly thereafter was diagnosed with epilepsy. According to historians, he also displayed signs of autism. Due to his illness, he spent most of his life out of the public eye and living away from his family in Sandringham. In 1919, at age 13, he died in his sleep.

#5. David

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 2
- Rank in the U.S.: #22 (9,697 babies born in 2018)

Another moniker that isn’t often used as a first name among the royal family, David is often used as a middle name. For example, King Edward VIII, titled the Duke of Windsor after his 1936 abdication, was christened Edward Christian George Andrew Patrick David, and was often called David by his family. The name David means “beloved.”

#4. Henry

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 4
- Rank in the U.S.: #16 (10,649 babies born in 2018)

Unless you follow the royal family closely, you might not know that Prince Harry’s Christian name is actually Prince Henry Charles Albert David. He’s been called Harry since birth. In 2018, upon his marriage to Meghan Markle, he was given the titles Duke of Sussex, Earl of Dumbarton, and Baron Kilkeel.

#3. Alexander

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 4
- Rank in the U.S.: #11 (11,989 babies born in 2018)

A descendant of Queen Victoria, godson to Queen Elizabeth, and cousin to Prince Charles, Prince Alexander was once in line for the British throne. However, his marriage to a Roman Catholic forced him to forfeit any potential claim to the crown. Instead, Prince Alexander has focused on reclaiming his position as King of Yugoslavia, a role that hasn’t actually existed since his father left the country before the German invasion in 1941.

#2. Charlotte

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 3
- Rank in the U.S.: #6 (12,940 babies born in 2018)

Born in 2015, Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, Prince William and Kate Middleton’s only daughter, is fourth in line to the throne. Thanks to the Royal Succession Act of 2013, it’s a claim she won’t have to give up even though she now has a younger brother, Prince Louis. The act replaced male primogeniture, which gave royal sons precedence over royal daughters.

#1. William

- British royals with this name, 1819–2019: 4
- Rank in the U.S.: #3 (14,516 babies born in 2018)

Second in line to the throne, Prince William Arthur Philip Louis has always seemed like a natural royal. It turns out that the future king actually had childhood ambitions of being a police officer. Today, it seems that he’s fully embraced his life as a working royal, carrying out official duties in support of the Queen, becoming the official patron of dozens of charities, and spearheading campaigns that are close to his heart, like Heads Together.

Trending Now