Almost every member of the Royal Family has at least one, if not more, links to previous royals in their names. Whether it is Charles, William or Elizabeth or Beatrice, it is important that there are no overriding associations which will affect their future or draw negative comparisons.
While the names of royals have influenced much of history, they are not always the most popular. That has been proven once again as the Office for National Statistics has released the top 100 baby boy names for 2024.
Interestingly, when it comes to the top 10 names, there is only one male member of the family who features.
Sitting behind Muhammed, Noah, Oliver, Arthur and Leo, the name George has been ranked in 6th place on the list of the most popular for baby boys in England last year.
While George is the only member of the Firm to have a starring place in the top 10, there are other male members of the family who make the cut on the full list.
The name Archie just missed breaking into the top 10, falling in 11th place. The Duke of Sussex’s official name, Henry, comes in at 12th, while his commonly used name, Harry, sits in 21st place.
Elsewhere on the list, William is ranked at 27th, James at 40th, Louis in 47th place, Samuel at 60th, David at 64th, and Michael near the end of the list at 85th.
The Prince and Princess of Wales’s first child, Prince George Alexander Louis, was born on July 22, 2013, at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington. His name has many strong royal ties as George has been the name of six kings, including the regnal name of Queen Elizabeth II’s father, King George VI.
But the future king wasn’t always going to be named George, as the name Alexander had been lined up.
According to royal expert Katie Nicholl, Kate had her “heart set on” the name Alexander, though the couple had not decided for sure. Nicholl said: “Courtiers insisted the pair had not found out the sex of their unborn baby, and friends close to the couple claim William wanted a surprise.
“Although Kate apparently suspected it was a boy and had set her heart on the name Alexander, they had not yet decided what to call their firstborn.”