What Will Meghan and Harry Name Their New Born?

Published May 7th, 2019 - 09:32 GMT
Footmen Stephen Kelly and Sarah Thompson set up an official notice on an easel at the gates of Buckingham Palace in London on May 6, 2019, announcing the birth of a son to Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. (AFP/ File Photo)
Footmen Stephen Kelly and Sarah Thompson set up an official notice on an easel at the gates of Buckingham Palace in London on May 6, 2019, announcing the birth of a son to Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. (AFP/ File Photo)
Highlights
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their baby boy.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their baby boy in the early hours of this morning - and now the wait continues to find out the little one's name.

Harry and Meghan's 7lbs 3oz son was born earlier today and the traditional names James and Alexander are currently the favourites with odds of 7/2. 

Both of these options have overtaken Arthur, Edward and Oliver, which had been expected by bookies to be chosen by the new parents. 

Since the baby's arrival gambling company Betfair have seen a flurry of bets, with thousand of royal fans wanting to predict the youngster's name. 

Betfair Spokesperson Katie Baylis said: 'It's the news the world has been waiting for for days and now that the Royal Couple have announced they have had a little baby boy, attention now turns to what his name will be. 

'James and Alexander are the joint favourites at 7/2, both slashed from 12/1 after a flurry of bets on both names in the last few hours. 

'They overtake previous favourite for a boy, Arthur which is at 6/1, with two equally traditional names Edward and Oliver at 12/1.'

Members of the royal family traditionally opt for conventional, regal names with a nod to history, but forward-thinking Harry, 34, and Meghan, 37, may want to do things their own way and pick something more modern.

Diana had been expected to be among the names for a girl in tribute to Harry's late mother, but he could decide to honour her by using Spencer - the princess's family name - as one of his son's names.

Other options could include Charles, after the Prince of Wales, Philip, after the Duke of Edinburgh, or royal favourites James, Albert, Frederick, Arthur or even Henry - Harry's actual first name.

American former actress Meghan, who is the first mixed-race person to marry a senior British royal, may want to pay tribute to her own family heritage.

When the former Suits star ran her lifestyle blog The Tig, she wrote that one of her favourite baby names was Grey, which works for a boy or a girl.  

As Baby Sussex is seventh in line to the throne and not a future king, Harry and Meghan have more freedom over to what to choose.

The most popular name in the U.S. for a boy is Liam, followed by Noah, and in Canada, where Meghan lived for several years, it is Benjamin.

In England and Wales, and Australia and New Zealand, it is Oliver.

UK’s Baby Name expert, SJ Ljungstrom from ChannelMum.com, has also made some predictions about the little boy's name. 

She said: 'As the first dual-heritage British Royal, Baby Sussex will unite nations around the world at a time when we all need to come together.  

'Whatever names Harry and Meghan decide on will set international global trends. One unusual choice they could consider is "Seth". 

'It’s the most popular boy’s name in Botswana where Harry and Meghan fell in love – and Meghan also has a Botswana diamond in her engagement ring - so it would seal their love in the most romantic way as well as paying homage to Africa and the Commonwealth, which they both adore.

'Hugo meaning "mind" echoes their mental health work while a Royal name which hasn’t been used in some time is Frederick. Meaning "peaceful ruler" it is ideal for their vision as a world power couple promoting global harmony and integration.

'One more traditional name choice is Charles. It would work so well as Meghan has a warm relationship with her father-in-law while Harry also has Charles as a middle name, so it’s continuing tradition and honouring the family.

'Despite the recent rumours of a rift, the baby’s birth will undoubtedly bring Harry and William closer as they bond over being fathers, so I may well expect to see William as a middle name.

'An outside choice would be Dorian, the male version of Meghan’s mother’s name Doria. Although reasonably popular in the States and honouring the steadfast support from her mother, it may meet resistance in the UK due to negative connotations from the Oscar Wilde play The Portrait of Dorian Gray.

The expert added: 'Whichever name they choose, I also think the Sussex’s will use a cheeky chappie nickname for their child, as they’ll parent him to be as free-spirited and independent as they are.'

The couple have already been given lots of ideas by friends and family.

During a tram ride in Melbourne during their Australia tour, Meghan told pupils from a local school: 'We've been given a long list of names from everyone, we're going to sit down and have a look at them.'

The Prince of Wales joked about Australian inspirations for the baby's name in the early days of Meghan's pregnancy.

He told guests at an event at Australia House, central London: 'Incidentally, ladies and gentlemen, my son Harry tells me that during their recent tour of Australia he and his wife were offered countless thoughtful suggestions for the naming of their forthcoming baby.

'Just between us, I suspect that Kylie and Shane may possibly make the shortlist. But, ladies and gentlemen, I would not hold your breath for Edna or Les.'

He was referring to comedian Barry Humphries, who was among the guests and is known for his stage and television alter egos of Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson.

The duchess would be unlikely to pay tribute to her estranged father Thomas Markle, who did not attend her wedding after falling ill and being caught staging paparazzi photographs. 

Royal fans had previously been convinced Harry and Meghan's child would be a girl and be named Ivy, just like her best friend Jessica Mulroney's daughter.

A flurry of bets placed on the unlikely name in the past 48 hours made it the clear favourite at 7/4.    

Royal fans were convinced on the name Ivy and Meghan's best friend Jessica Mulroney's daughter, five, who served as a bridesmaid at the royal wedding, is often called 'Ivy', derived from her given name, Isabel Veronica. 

{"preview_thumbnail":"https://cdn.flowplayer.com/6684a05f-6468-4ecd-87d5-a748773282a3/i/v-i-9…","video_id":"948dda86-5944-4425-a43b-c94b9ad9cb1e","player_id":"8ca46225-42a2-4245-9c20-7850ae937431","provider":"flowplayer","video":"Israel Launches Attacks on 320 Sites in Gaza"}

And it was thought that the Duchess of Sussex could swipe the name for her own child, as a flurry of bets in the past 48 hours made it the new favourite.

Meghan's goddaughter Ivy Mulroney is said to be close to the royal, and was one of the adorable bridesmaids at the royal wedding last May.

Before she closed down her Instagram account, Meghan would often share pictures of the little girl, and reference slumber parties watching movies and eating popcorn.

Her mother, Jessica Mulroney, is Meghan's best friend and former stylist. 

Meghan and Jessica, who is said to have met Meghan when she moved to Toronto to film Suits, is also a likely choice for godmother for the royal baby. 

Jessica is rumoured to play a significant part in the baby's life, and it has been suggested that she and her husband, Ben, son of former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, are likely to become godparents. 

In addition to dressing Meghan — who is perhaps her best-known client — Jessica has also worked with the likes of Canada's first lady Sophie Gregoire Trudeau and Shania Twain. 

Mrs Mulroney and Meghan are said to have bonded over a passion for yoga, Pilates, dogs and philanthropy - and Meghan calls herself as 'Aunty Meg' to her three children.

Meghan and Prince Harry are even said to have sought refuge at Mrs Muroney's house when news of their relationship broke. 

And while it may seem unlikely Meghan would swipe the name from her best friend, bookies have slashed odds from 20/1 to just 7/4 - the shortest price any name has been since the betting opened last year.

It is now believed to be more likely than previous favourite names for a girl, including Diana, Allegra and Grace. 

Other famous Ivy's include Beyonce's daughter with Jay-Z, who is named Blue Ivy.

Fans were absolutely positive the royal will be having a girl, with odds at just 1/2. 

Alex Apati of Ladbrokes said: 'It's by far the biggest move we've seen in the Royal Baby betting and punters are clearly getting confident Baby Sussex will be a girl.' 

Ivy is a traditional name that has grown in popularity in recent years. It means fidelity and eternity, with ancient Greeks giving newlyweds an ivy wreath to symbolise their commitment to each other.  

This article has been adapted from its original source.

Subscribe

Sign up to our newsletter for exclusive updates and enhanced content