This was originally posted on December 7, 2012
The country barely had time to celebrate the news of Catherine Middleton’s pregnancy before bookies began to put odds on the name of our future monarch. Their child has been one of the most talked about children in the press, and that was before he or she was even conceived! So the chances are that whatever name they choose, it will set a trend for other parents and fans of the royal couple.
A Traditional Name?
Just when we thought the traditional name trend was on its way out, the royal baby may inspire a new wave of Evies and Charlies in 2013!
Although Kate and William are a modern, young royal couple, they have continuously shown interest in keeping traditions alive and for that reason we believe they will stick to a name previously given to a monarch for their little one. The highest contender at the bookies at the moment is the name Elizabeth if the baby is a girl. This is after William’s grandmother and our current Queen, Elizabeth II. It also happens to be Kate’s middle name and so would be a nice way to bring both families together.
However, many people are speculating that William and Kate might want to name their baby after William’s mother, Princess Diana. Diana is currently 10/1 at the bookies for a baby girl’s name. In fact, Phil Dampier, a royal author, has stated that he would be “astonished’ if the baby is not called Diana if she is a girl.
Kings and Queens
Similarly, experts believe that if the baby is a boy, the couple might opt to honour William’s father Prince Charles by naming the baby Charles. The name John has also been mentioned in relation to the baby’s possible name. Other boys’ names which are believed to be contenders include Richard and James. All of these are names of previous royals or monarchs and so by naming their child any of these, William and Kate are acknowledging royal tradition and keeping the names of the previous monarchs before them alive and in vogue. However, this does mean that Kate’s influence isn’t seen much on the child’s name. The public love Kate for being the down to earth, ‘princess of the people’ and they would like to see her bringing some of her own history to the baby’s name choice. Kate might favour the first names of her parents, Carole if the baby is a girl and Michael if he is a boy. Other names Kate might like include the names of her siblings, Pippa and James.
Here at babynames.co.uk we believe the baby may be given a traditional name but one which can be shorted to something more modern, such as Elizabeth being shortened to Liz, Lizzie or Eliza, or Charles which is often shortened to Charlie.
What do you think the royal couple might name their baby? Let us know your thoughts!
