What's in a Royal Name? See the Most Popular Royal-Inspired Baby Names in the U.S. and the U.K.

Stephanie Petit
·3 min read
4
Prince George of Cambridge, Prince Louis of Cambridge and Princess Charlotte
Prince George of Cambridge, Prince Louis of Cambridge and Princess Charlotte
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Samir Hussein/WireImage Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte

It's a royal baby boom!

In 2021, Queen Elizabeth welcomed four new great-grandchildren: Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank's firstborn son, August; Zara and Mike Tindall's third child, Lucas; Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's daughter, Lilibet; and Princess Beatrice's daughter with Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Sienna.

While members of the royal family are known for recycling traditional monikers, the new generation of royals has branched out with some unexpected baby names. Pamela Redmond, a baby name expert and co-creator of the world's largest baby name website Nameberry, analyzed royal baby names in the U.S. (2021) and U.K. (2020) for their popularity.

RELATED: Queen Elizabeth Has 12 Great-Grandchildren: Here's the Meaning Behind Their Names

Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee 2022 - Platinum Pageant
Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee 2022 - Platinum Pageant

Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Lena Tindall and Princess Charlotte

Most Popular Baby Girl Names in the U.S. (2021)

  1. Charlotte)

  2. Mia

  3. Elizabeth

  4. Isla

  5. Savannah

  6. Sienna

  7. Zara

  8. Diana

  9. Lena

  10. Catherine

Most Popular Baby Girl Names in the U.K. (2020)

  1. Isla

  2. Mia

  3. Charlotte

  4. Sienna

  5. Elizabeth)

  6. Zara

  7. Beatrice

  8. Savannah

  9. Lena

  10. Diana

On the girls' side, different names claim the top spot. While Charlotte, like Kate Middleton and Prince William's daughter, reigns in the U.S. when it comes to royal names (it's ranked third overall), the number one spot on the U.K. side goes to Isla (also in the third spot overall), the name of Peter Phillips' younger daughter.

"It's interesting that Isla and Mia, two more casual 'American' names, rank higher in the U.K., while the classic royal Charlotte ranks higher in the U.S., all the way up at no. 3 and perhaps headed for no. 1," says Redmond. "Sienna, another American-style word name chosen by Princess Beatrice for her baby girl, also ranks higher in the U.K. at no. 22, while it's 149 in the U.S."

She adds, "But perhaps the royalest name of all, Elizabeth, still lies just outside the top 10 in the U.S., while it's outside the top 50 in the U.K."

Britain's Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (R) talks to his son Prince George as they attend the men's singles final tennis match between Serbia's Novak Djokovic and Australia's Nick Kyrgios on the fourteenth day of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 10, 2022. - RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by Adrian DENNIS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)

ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Prince George and Prince William

Most Popular Baby Boy Names in the U.S. (2021)

  1. James (5)

  2. William (6)

  3. Lucas (8)

  4. Henry (9)

  5. Charles (50)

  6. Andrew (57)

  7. August (121)

  8. George (134)

  9. Edward (217)

  10. Louis (251)

Most Popular Baby Boy Names in the U.K. (2020)

  1. George (2)

  2. Harry (8)

  3. Archie (9)

  4. Henry (11)

  5. William (20)

  6. James (24)

  7. Lucas (25)

  8. Edward (29)

  9. Louis (52)

  10. Charles (88)

Regarding boys' names, the U.S. and U.K. also differ. While Prince George's moniker ranks second most popular overall in his home nation, the top spot belongs to James, like Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex's son.

Redmond speculates, "The U.K. favorite boy names are still seen as fusty old man names by many American parents."

Interestingly, Meghan and Prince Harry's son is named Archie, a popular name in the U.K., but the name has yet to catch on in the U.S. — it ranked 399th in America last year.

Meanwhile, "August, the choice of Princess Eugenie for her son born last year, is much more popular in the U.S. at no. 121 and rising, while it's way down at 579 in the U.K.," Redmond says. "We do predict a significant rise for August in the U.K. when statistics are announced for 2021, the year the royal baby August was born."

Princess Eugenie and August Brooksbank watch the Platinum Jubilee Pageant from the Royal Box during the Platinum Jubilee Pageant on June 05, 2022 in London, England. The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II is being celebrated from June 2 to June 5, 2022, in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952.

Chris Jackson/Getty Princess Eugenie and August

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"Some names are popular because of their royal connections and some are simply popular names chosen by the royals," Redmond notes. "Names that have become more popular thanks to the royals include Charlotte, George, Louise, Harry, Archie, and Beatrice. Popular names that happen to have been chosen by the royals include Isla, Mia, Sienna, Savannah, Lucas, and August."

This year, Kate and Prince William became aunt and uncle again with the birth of Pippa Middleton's third child, a baby girl named Rose. According to Nameberry, Rose is a fairly popular girl's name: it ranked 116th in popularity in the U.S. in 2021 and 61st in England in 2020.