Will the Duke and Duchess of Sussex take inspiration from their family trees when naming the royal baby?

New research from Ancestry has explored the family trees of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, to reveal the possibilities for naming the royal baby. 

The findings reveal that while Mary, John, and Elizabeth are the most common girls’ and boys’ names in both family trees, there are several unusual choices that Harry and Meghan could opt for when naming the young royal, including Alvin, Ralph, Doria and even Gertrude, from Meghan's ancestor Gertrude Sadler, who was well-known for her charity work.

The family trees of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

Bookies have named Arthur, Elizabeth, Henry and Victoria as front runners for the royal baby, which is due in April, but if the couple decide to take inspiration from their genealogy, Harry’s family tree could lead to a Prince Lancelot, Boniface or even Marmaduke or we could see a Princess Ursula or Hyacinthe because of the female line of the royal family tree. 

Another notable name that could make the cut could be Jane, inspired by Jane Seymour – a distant royal relative of Meghan’s. Jane was the Queen of England from 1536 to 1537 as the third wife of King Henry VIII and is believed to have been Henry’s favourite wife

Ancestry spokesperson Russell James said: “Trying to guess the royal baby’s name is a great British tradition and having delved into family tree records, we can see the range of names in both families is incredibly diverse. Although traditional names are making a comeback, it would be wonderful to celebrate a Princess Gertrude or a Prince Lancelot!”

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Image:  Queen Victoria and Her Royal Highness Victoria Adelaide Mary Louisa. The Princess Royal copyright Wellcome Collection