With the Diamond Jubilee just finishing, it’s a great time to get inspired by royal baby names. Giving your baby a royal name will ensure their name is classic, sophisticated and will stand the test of time.
Trending Names
Expectant parents for generations have been influenced by the names of the monarchs of their countries. The name Victoria peaked in popularity after Queen Victoria came to the throne in 1837, as did the names of her children: which include Alice, Louise, Arthur and Helena, names that are still very popular to this day. Most Victorian children had either their first or middle name named after a royal.
The Long List
If you want to name your baby after a royal, look no further than the British line of rulers. Names that have been popular within British royalty for hundreds of years include Edward, William, Henry, and Richard. Other royal male names include Charles (the Prince of Wales), Andrew (the Duke of York), and Steven (the King of England from 1134-1141). Regal names are often chosen for their meaning: Andrew means ‘courageous’, Arthur means ‘strong’, Richard means ‘brave’, and Edward means ‘guardian’. Royal girls name include Anne (daughter of Queen Elizabeth II), Eleanor (the name of many British princesses), Elizabeth (the name of our Queen), Helena (Queen Victoria’s daughter), Caroline (Queen Consort to Charles II), Beatrice (another daughter of Queen Victoria) and Margaret (Queen Elizabeth II’s sister), Louise (daughter of George II) and Matilda (the first female ruler of England). Girls name carry different, but no less lovely, meanings: Anne means ‘Grace’, Eleanor means light of the sun, Louise means ‘renowned in battle’, and Margaret means ‘pearl’.
A Lesser Known Royal?
Although many royal names are classics, which have been popular for years, there are also some less well-known regal names. Names of English kings from the Saxon era include Edmund, Ethelbald, Ethelred, Edgar, Harald and Svein. These seem somewhat dated these days, so if you want to bestow a royal name on your child, but want to go for something more unusual than many royal names, why not draw inspiration from monarchs from across the globe.
European Mix
Royal French baby names include Louis, Francis, Lothair, Napoleon, Hugh, and Philippe. The Spanish royal family have some beautiful names such as Sophia, Elena, Cristina and Leonor. Two baby girls in the Spanish royal family currently have the name Leonor, given to them in honour of a medieval Spanish queen). Royal Spanish boys names include Miguel, Felipe, Pablo and Valentin for boys.
Breaking The Mould
Many royals are very traditional in their naming habits, but the royal family in certain countries are breaking the mould of using traditional royal names, providing parents-to-be with creative, modern regal names to draw inspiration from. The Crown Prince and Princess of the Netherlands broke tradition when they named their daughters Catherina-Amalia, Alexia, and Ariane. The Danish Crown Prince and Princess also defied tradition when they named their baby girl Isabella, instead of the tradition names Ingrid, Dagmar, Thyra that people were expecting. The Crown Prince Philippe of Belgium and his wife Princess Mathilde have named their children Emmanuel, Gabriel, and Eleanor, which are traditional Belgian names but not traditionally royal names.
Whether you want to go for a traditional royal name, or a more unusual royal name for your baby, there are plenty of royal baby names to choose from!
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Alice from babynames.co.uk enjoyed the Diamond Jubilee and wants to help new parents find the best royal names for their children. There is plenty of variety to choose from!