With Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank’s recent announcement that they are expecting a baby, Royal Central has taken a look at some of the most common namesakes of the current royals to see where they come from.
Of all the names given to male members of the Royal Family, those of Louis, Arthur and Philip appear to be the most recurring. These feature in the full names of a handful of royals, including the next three kings, Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince George.
The most popular male name is Louis – with the female alternative, Louise often appearing as well – which is in memory of Lord Louis Mountbatten. Prince Philip’s uncle was an important figure in the Royal Family from the 1940s up to the 1970s when he was assassinated by the IRA. Whilst it is only the first name of one royal, Prince Louis of Cambridge, the names Louis and Louise crop up five times as middle names for other royals.
A similar situation follows for the female royals. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the most featured name is Elizabeth, after The Queen. Eight of Her Majesty’s female descendants are named in honour of her, including the likes of Princess Charlotte, Princess Anne and Lady Louise Windsor. There is a likelihood that the name is also attributed to Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother or to Queen Elizabeth I.
Other common female names are Alexandra, or Alexander for males, which is likely in memory of Queen Alexandra (1844-1925) who was married to King Edward VII.
Similarly, Mary is a recurring feature, appearing in three royal names. This is in honour of Queen Mary, the paternal grandmother of the present Queen Elizabeth II. She married King George V in 1893 and had six children, including King Edward VIII and King George VI. There is also the possibility that the name Mary derives from Queen Mary I or Queen Mary II, or perhaps it draws a religious link with the Virgin Mary.
Interestingly, there are also foreign draws in the names of the British royals. The younger daughter of the Duke of York and Sarah, Duchess of York is named Eugenie – an incredibly unexpected choice when she was born in 1990. However, if you look back in royal history, it is possible the Princess is named after Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, the grandmother to King Juan Carlos of Spain and great-grandmother to King Felipe VI. It is a likely connection as the royal was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria and was born at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. She married King Alfonso XIII in 1906 and reigned as the Queen consort of Spain until his death in 1941.
With the arrival Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank’s child expected in early 2021, it’ll be interesting to see if the couple follows a traditional route in naming their baby, or if they will opt for a more modern alternative. Given that their child will not have a title and will be unlikely to ever inherit the throne, a less traditional name may be predicted. The situation is similar to that of Eugenie’s cousins and how they have given their children names such as Savannah, Lena and Archie.
Read the list below of the full names and titles of the British royals and their current/former spouses below:
Queen Elizabeth Alexandra Mary
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Charles Philip Arthur George, the Prince of Wales
Diana Frances Spencer (the late Princess of Wales)
Camilla Rosemary (Duchess of Cornwall)
Prince William Arthur Philip Louis, the Duke of Cambridge
Catherine Elizabeth (Duchess of Cambridge)
Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge
Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana of Cambridge
Prince Louis Arthur Charles of Cambridge
Prince Henry Charles Albert David, the Duke of Sussex
Rachel Meghan (Duchess of Sussex)
Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor
Prince Andrew Albert Christian Edward, the Duke of York
Sarah Margaret (Duchess of York)
Princess Beatrice Elizabeth Mary
Edoardo Alessandro Mapelli Mozzi
Princess Eugenie Victoria Helena
Jack Christopher Stamp Brooksbank
Prince Edward Antony Richard Louis, the Earl of Wessex
Sophie Helen (Countess of Wessex)
James Alexander Philip Theo, Viscount Severn
Lady Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary
Princess Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise, The Princess Royal
Timothy James Hamilton Laurence
Peter Mark Andrew Phillips
Autumn Patricia Phillips
Savannah Anne Kathleen Phillips
Isla Elizabeth Phillips
Zara Anne Elizabeth Tindall
Michael James Tindall
Mia Grace Tindall
Lena Elizabeth Tindall
