Predicting the name of an incoming royal baby is a pastime beloved across the world, and as the due date approaches, the stakes get higher.
But if you've placed a bet on the royal baby being named "Diana" or "Arthur" - the leading predictions according to bookies - you might have missed a key detail in your thinking.
Research across the leading baby name website in the UK and the US have led experts to believe that the bookies' favourites for the royal baby's name are more fairytale than reality.
Of course, it would seem incredibly fitting, and not to mention touching, for Meghan and Prince Harry to name their little bundle of joy after Harry's late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. However, experts suggest that culture, and not tradition, will be the leading factor in how the royals settle upon their baby's name.
Currently, British names ‘Victoria’, ‘Grace’ or ‘Alice’ for a girl, or ‘James’ and ‘Arthur’ for a boy, occupy the shortest odds, cultural differences such as historical significance and even the pronunciation of names in different accents are expected to play a role in choosing a name.
This, of course, makes perfect sense, not least because Meghan has developed a reputation for bucking royal traditions left, right and centre, but also as the first royal baby to be born with a British father and American mother, Meghan and Harry's child will likely represent both cultures.
Dr. Jane Pilcher, an Associate Professor of Sociology at Nottingham Trent University and leading authority on the sociology of names, explains: "Culture plays a vital role in the perception of certain names, the names that are popular or unpopular in different countries and, ultimately, what we chose to name our children.
"As this will be the first Royal baby to have both British and American parentage, I would be surprised if Harry and Meghan agree on a name that we would expect, or that’s quintessentially British. They will need to choose a name that is suitable for Royalty, but they also have the added challenge of it being accepted and correctly pronounced among both the UK and US public."
My Nametags has carried out research on this topic, using "Harry" as the perfect example. In the UK, Harry is the second most popular baby name for boys - surely due in some part to its Royal connection - whereas in the US it’s pronunciation as ‘hairy’ has put mothers off, according to conversations on US baby naming website Behindthename.com.
"Arthur", one of the leading baby name predictions at the moment with odds of 12/1 with the bookies, is pronounced ‘author’ by Americans, according to mother’s discussing the name on the Nameberry US baby naming website.
While "James" is the second favourite name in the running, many mothers on Behindthename.com felt it was "overused", which may be a feeling shared by the Duke and Duchess. More likely to throw them off it, however, is the fact that the last James in the Royal family was James II in the 17th Century, who was deposed. Not the best legacy for so eagerly anticipated a baby.
As for girls' names, "Victoria" is a leading prediction. However, according to Babycenter the name is felt to be pretentious by British and American mothers alike.
Similarly, predictions that Harry and Meghan may take inspiration from the name of Prince Philip’s mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, in naming their child ‘Alice’, are also likely to be off the mark. Although the name is in the top 20th names for girls in the UK, it is far less popular in the US.
As for those "Diana" and "Charles" predictions, which have odds of 3/1 and 80/1 respectively, Dr Jane Pilcher says that "Nowadays, babies are rarely named after very close relations. Instead, it may be that a close family member is honoured by choosing their name as a middle name. The exception is when a parent has passed away".
The name is also comparatively unpopular in the US, ranking 230th in the ranking charts, and hasn't featured in the top 200 UK baby names lists since 1964.
In comparison, the most popular names in the States in 2018 were ‘Jackson’ for a boy or ‘Sophia’ for a girl, according to Babycentre.
American names are far more influenced by pop culture rather than tradition, such as the name ‘Arya’, which joined the top US baby name rankings following the success of HBO television series, Game of Thrones.
In what would be an even more controversial choice, there is nothing to say Meghan will not choose a gender-neutral name, says Dr. Pilcher. "The name Avery is ranked 14th in the US for girls but in the UK it’s 637th and is almost as popular a name for boys, ranking at 581st. Given Meghan’s feminism, she may choose a forename, like Avery, that is more gender neutral."
