We’re counting down the days to the birth of Baby Sussex. The name and sex of the baby are secret for now, but that doesn’t stop the world from speculating, or us from dreaming.
British bookmaker William Hill revealed that there has been an increase of bets on the names Diana and Victoria (Harry’s mother and great-great-grandmother, respectively) if the baby is a girl. Other sources, including UK bookies Ladbrokes, have Elizabeth in the lead. For boys, Arthur is the favorite at 4-1, with Edward, James, and Philip following closely behind. But that’s the betting line, deeply favoring family names from Harry’s side.
We’d love to to see a name combination that honors maternal and paternal lineage and carries Meghan’s signature style. Betting against the odds, we’d advise the royals to save Diana for a middle-name spot, to honor Harry’s late mother while granting their child a new path without such deep associations. And as much as we adore Arthur, there’s already one on Kate Middleton’s side of the family. Her sister, Pippa, recently chose the name for her son. The association maybe be close enough to move the Sussexes in a different direction. As the heir to the “spare,” Harry and Meghan have more leeway with how they name their child anyway (consider that Harry’s cousin, Zara Phillips Tindall, went with the names Mia and Lena for her daughters), especially with Meghan bringing in her own background and Americanness. So we say, embrace it!
Our choices for Baby Sussex blend classic with vintage style, perfectly suiting the royal couple. The list features multisyllabic beauties with casual nickname options and quirky-classic picks (and somehow abounds with Chipmunk names?:)). Only time will tell, but we’ve got our fingers crossed.
- Ada
- Albert
- Alice
- Alvin
- Caroline
- Cecilia
- Dorothea
- Edwin
- Eleanor
- Eliza
- Frances
- Graham
- James
- Jane
- John
- Josephine
- Lillian
- Lionel
- Lucille
- Mae
- Mathilda
- Margaret
- Nicholas
- Ruth
- Samuel
- Simon
- Theodore
- Vincent
…and our wild card picks:
Audre
as in Lorde. Speaking to Meghan’s biracial female identity and commitment to feminism, this Civil Rights activist name would buck tradition in a major way. It evokes the strength of Audre Lorde, the glamour of Audrey Hepburn, and we love the idea of a little royal Audre.
August
Not completely without precedent—there’s an Augustus in the House of Hanover—August offers a more modern and less tongue-twistery (Augustus Sussex three times fast, anyone?) take on a classic. Moving steadily up the charts in the US, August is an on-trend choice with adorable nickname options Auggie and Gus. Plus, it’s MM’s birthday month.
Grey
Apparently Meghan shared on her lifestyle blog, The Tig, years ago that Grey is one of her favorite baby names. A fresher version of Greyson, Grey is still a solid (if not bold) choice. And it’s the color scheme for the mini royal’s nursery!
What are your thoughts? We’d love to know your picks and favorite name combos for the royal baby-to-be.
And be sure to check back after the official royal announcement to discuss Baby Sussex’s name!
I know I’m a bit late with this observation but I’d like to point out that due to them being 15th and 18th (16th and 19th if the rumours of the Duchess of Cambridge’s 4th pregnancy are true) Zara Tindall and her elder brother Peter Phillips can be more daring with what they can name their respective daughters, in contrast the Sussexes (and the Cambridges, if the rumours are true obviously) have to be more mindful what they call their child(ren) as at some point in the future they will most likely undertake engagements on behalf of the royal family. Therefore the name must not only be easy to spell but also to pronounce, both Tindall girls have names that are pronounced completely differently to what you would probably expect (Mia= Mya and Lena= Elena without the E). It’ll be the same with Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and Lady Louise and James, Viscount Severn, they’ll all have more latitude with naming their kids because they aren’t in the public eye so much. But who knows what may have happened by the time Louise and James are having kids, if you believe what Prince Harry says then no one (not even his father) in the royal family wants the throne wants the queen dies
Better late than never!😀 I think you’re right, and that’s such an interesting point about the pronunciations. Thanks for the comment.