Name Game: New Research Ranks Popular Royal Names for Baby Sussex

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry attend The Royal Variety Performance 2018 at the London Palladium on Nov. 19, 2018 in London. Photo by: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images.

We’ve still got a ways to go before Baby Sussex arrives in the spring, but that hasn’t stopped royal pundits and oddsmakers from placing bets on the baby’s sex and possible name.

While Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex’s pregnancy announcement on Oct. 15 officially kicked off #BumpWatch, it also fueled rampant speculation about everything from where the Royal Baby will be born to whether the pair will raise it part-time in Meghan’s native California. But, in the end, it’s really the “name game” we’re all invested in.

As we’ve seen time and again, royalty tends to reflect upon its own family tree by sticking with the traditional when it comes to naming their offspring, so it’s safe to assume Harry and Meghan — for all those royal rules they’ve broken along the way — won’t buck the trend and will fall in line by selecting a family moniker. That being said, many royal watchers bet their hard-earned cash on the odds that William and Kate would go with Albert, Charles or Philip for their third child, but they opted instead for the more unconventional — and decidedly French-sounding — Louis. So, if anyone were to fully break from tradition, I’d put my money on Mr. and Mrs. Sussex.

RELATED: Meghan Markle & the Royal Baby Boom

This is where travel firm Expedia comes it, compiling an extensive list of the most popular baby names used by royals since the 19th century. A team of experts have reportedly studied the names of all royal arrivals directly descended from Queen Victoria. And, although the names Victoria and Albert topped the picks for girls and boys names, there are still a few surprises hidden in the stats, too.

Duchess of Sussex
Baby bump! The Duchess of Sussex attends The Royal Variety Performance 2018 at the London Palladium on Nov. 19, 2018 in London. Photo: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images.

Let’s start with the girls’ names, shall we?

The Expedia research shows that, after Victoria, the name Mary comes in at second on the list, ahead of Louise and Alexandra while Elizabeth rounds out the top five. Among the more surprising choices are Olga and Augusta which tied for ninth spot with Helene and Agnes.

The boys’ list, however, is much more traditional. After Albert, the next most popular pick is George (although it seems unlikely that Harry and Meghan would go for it given it’s already the name of William and Kate’s eldest) with Charles following in a close third. Edward comes in at number four while Christian finishes off the top five. Much like the girls’ list, there are some unusual monikers, including Douglas, Francis and Augustus.

Expedia also took into account the most popular names among other European royal families, including those of Sweden, Norway and Denmark. The most popular girls name in the last decade has been Louise, followed by Marie while boys have been (mostly) named Christian or Carl.

But, if Baby Sussex is a girl, lets not rule out the possibility of Diana. Sure, it’s not a common name among Europe’s royal families but it has special significance in Great Britain — and to Harry, in particular. Remember how confident people were that William and Kate would select Diana for their daughter’s name? Instead, the moniker was given as one of the (many) middle names for Princess Charlotte, ultimately leaving the path clear for Harry and Meghan to nab. It’s entirely possible that the rebellious redhead — who is a distant sixth in line to the throne — will feel less pressure in bucking the trend and might opt to pay tribute to his late mother.

Here, the full list of the top Royal Baby names, according to Expedia:

8 Most Popular Royal Girls Names
Victoria
Mary
Louise
Alexandra
Elizabeth
Alice
Margaret
Charlotte

Runners-up
Augusta
Helena
Maud
Agnes
Helene
Caroline
Olga
Louisa
Diana

8 Most Popular Royal Boys Names
Albert
George
Charles
Edward
Christian
Frederick
Louis
Arthur

Runners-up
William
Henry
Alexander
John
Philip
Douglas
Ernest
Patrick
Frederick
Auguste
Francis
Andrew
David
Augustus
Antony