Current predictions place Elizabeth as the favourite name for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s royal baby with odds of 5-1, according to leading bookmaker Coral. Harry Aitkenhead said: “The latest surge of bets has once more been on Elizabeth and our customers seem convinced that the new arrival is going to be named after the Queen.” While Elizabeth and Diana remain popular choices with pundits, Meghan, 37, and Prince Harry, 34, are known to frequently eschew royal traditions. They also have more freedom than the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as their child will be seventh-in-line to the throne.

Other Royal Family members who have opted for on-trend names include Peter and Autumn Phillips, who chose popular choice Isla for their second child born in 2012.

So we could the fashionable Meghan and Harry opt for a similarly fashionable name?

Royal historian and author Carolyn Harris believes Baby Sussex’s name will reflect a balance “between a traditional royal name and trendy name that is traditional but does not frequently appear within the Royal Family”.

Her estimate is Eleanor, which would be a fitting tribute to the baby’s American and English ancestry as well as Meghan’s feminist credentials.

Ms Harris explained: “Eleanor would be a nice choice of first name as it was the name of a series of 12th and 13th century Queens of England including the famous Eleanor of Aquitaine.

“Eleanor was also the name of American First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt who supported civil rights and women’s rights and chaired the committee that drafted the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“The name would reflect the baby’s royal heritage and American ancestry in addition to Meghan’s support for women’s empowerment.”

The baby’s name will also need to “complement” its title, which could be Earl of Dumbarton for a boy or Mountbatten-Windsor for a girl.

Ms Harris said: “In the past, royal babies born seventh in line to the throne have received traditional names but not names common within the Royal Family.

“For example, the Queen’s niece Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones her cousin Prince Michael of Kent have traditional names but ones that frequently appear within the Royal Family.”

Ms Harris said there are also examples of Royal Family members choosing a name that followed contemporary trends over tradition further back in history.

The Raising Royalty: 1000 Years of Royal Parenting author said: “During the medieval period, there are examples of royalty choosing names unusual within the royal family to honour to popular saints.

“For example, Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville’s youngest daughter was named Bridget, probably after St Bridget of Sweden.

“King George III and Queen Charlotte named their short-lived eighth son Octavius, following a trend that existed in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries where seventh or eighth children might receive a classical name meaning seventh or eighth such as Septimus or Octavius.

“Queen Victoria chose the name Alice for her third child following a conversation with Lord Melbourne concerning the most attractive girls’ names of their time.

“Alice became a traditional royal name after it was chosen by Queen Victoria.”

Ms Harris says Elizabeth and Diana are more likely to feature as middle names.

Source: Read Full Article