The Top Royal Baby Names for Boys and Girls

With the arrival of the first baby (a boy!) for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex—a.k.a. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s—its time to start thinking about what little Baby Sussex might be named. British royalty tends to have a long list of given names (Harry has four, as does his older brother, William). But unlike other celebrities, names within the Royal Family tend toward the traditional and are usually drawn from a pool of names handed down from earlier generations of British and European royalty.

Harry and Meghan’s little boy can probably count on at least some of his names coming from the lists of most popular Royal baby names below. Whether you’re having a boy or a girl, these regal names should offer some inspiration for you, too.

THE 10 MOST POPULAR ROYAL BOY NAMES

Albert

Meaning: Noble, bright.

The most popular name for royal boys. Queen Victoria's prince consort, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, bore the name, as did their son, grandson, and two great-grandsons. Albert is also one of Prince Harry’s names.

George

Meaning: Tiller of the soil, farmer.

The second most popular royal boy’s name, Royal Georges share their name with St. George, patron saint of England, who legend says fought a fire-breathing dragon. There have been six kings of England named George and someday there will be a seventh—Will and Kate’s oldest son, George, who is third in line for the British throne.

Charles

Meaning: Full-grown, a man

There have been two English kings with this name, a father and son both in the 17th Century. Prince Charles, next in line for the throne, will make three. The name Charles (and variations) have been popular amongst European royals going all the way back to 800 AD and the first Holy Roman Emperor Charles the Great—better known as Charlemagne.

Edward

Meaning: Rich guard

While there have been lots of kings named Edward, the most famous has to be the most recent: King Edward VIII. He was king for less than a year, abdicating in 1936 to marry American divorcee, Wallis Simpson. If you count the earliest Edwards in English history—Edward the Confessor and Edward the Martyr, who ruled before 1066, then Edward wins as the most popular name for English monarchs.

Christian

Meaning: A follower of Christ

While there have been five royals whose name includes Christian, the most recent was Edward VIII—it was one of his seven (!) given names. Christian has also been a popular name amongst European royalty and came to Edward VIII through his great-grandfather, Christian IX of Denmark.

Frederick

Meaning: Peaceful ruler

While there’s never been a King Frederick of England, the last four King Georges all had this name amongst their given names. Frederick has also been a popular royal name in Germanic countries, including Prussia and Denmark.

Louis

Meaning: Famous warrior

Prince William and his son, Prince George, both have Louis as a given name, and William and Kate’s youngest son’s first name is Louis. William got the name from the Queen’s beloved uncle, Earl Louis Mountbatten. The name has been even more popular in France, where there were an astonishing 20 kings with the name!

Arthur

Meaning: Noble, courageous

Most famous for the legendary sixth century King Arthur, more recently George VI (the Queen’s father) and Prince Charles both count Arthur as one of their given names.

William

Meaning: Resolute protector

The popularity of this royal name goes all the way back to 1066 and William the Conqueror. There have been four King Williams, with our current Prince William slated to be number five someday (unless he decides to reign under one of his other three given names). 

Henry

Meaning: Home ruler

This royal name is a bit fraught, given the last guy to have the name (Henry VIII) had a bad habit of executing his wives! William IV had Henry as a given name, as does Prince Harry—Henry is his actual first name.

THE 10 MOST POPULAR ROYAL GIRL NAMES

Victoria

Meaning: Victory, conquer

Considered an unusual name at the time of her ascension to the throne, it’s now hard to imagine a more thoroughly royal girl’s name than Victoria—maybe that’s why its the most popular royal girl’s name. Queen Victoria might have helped this along, however. She is widely believed to have encouraged (or perhaps insisted) that her descendants use the name.

Mary

Meaning: Wished-for child

One of the current Queen’s given names, Mary is also the name of several famous English Queens, including Mary I (the first woman to rule England in her own right), Mary, Queen of Scots (who took the throne at the age of just six days!), and Mary II (who wrested the crown from her father, James II, in what is known as the Glorious Revolution).

Louise

Meaning: Famous warrior

The most famous royal Louise was the Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, fourth daughter of Queen Victoria. A strong supporter of the arts and higher education and an early feminist, many features of the Canadian West are named in her honour (after her time spent in Canada when her husband was Governor General of Canada from 1878 to 1883. These include the province of Alberta, Mount Alberta, and the stunning Lake Louise, a glacial lake within Banff National Park.

Alexandra

Meaning: Defender of Mankind

Another of Queen Elizabeth’s given names, the first royal girl to be named Alexandra...was actually Queen Victoria! Named Alexandrina in honour of her godfather, Emperor Alexander I of Russia, it was only on taking the throne that young Alexandrina chose to be known as Victoria.

Elizabeth

Meaning: Oath of God, or God is Satisfaction

The longest-serving British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II shares her name with another illustrious English Queen, Elizabeth I who reigned in the late 1500s and early 1600s. Also known as herself, whose full name is Elizabeth Alexandra Mary. Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth I was the last of the five Tudor monarchs.

Alice

Meaning: Noble, truth

Prince Philip’s mother was Princess Alice of Battenberg, who married Prince Andrew of Greece. The mother-in-law of Queen Elizabeth II, she famously stayed in Athens during the Second World War and sheltered Jewish refugees from the Nazis, for which she is recognized as "Righteous Among the Nations" by Yad Vashem.

Margaret

Meaning: Pearl

The best-known Margaret in the Royal Family was Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, the Queen’s younger sister.

Charlotte

Meaning: Free man, petite

The name Charlotte entered the Royal Family in the 18th Century when King George III married Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The most recent Charlotte is Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, the only daughter of Will and Kate. She is fourth in the line of succession to the British throne.

Augusta

Meaning: Majestic, grand

Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg married into the British Royal Family in the 18th Century. When her husband died, she was presumptive regent of Great Britain until her son came of age in 1756.

Helena

Meaning: Light, torch, bright

Princess Helena was the third daughter and fifth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. She was an active patron of charities, one of the founding members of the British Red Cross, and president of the Royal British Nurses' Association.

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