Meet Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. The Meaning Behind the Royal Baby Name.
And the princess has a name. The daughter of Kate Middleton and Prince William is Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, according to an announcement by Kensington Palace.
"This name is fitting for the princess because it's historically significant but it's also personal to the duke and duchess of Cambridge," Linda Rosenkrantz, co-founder of Nameberry, tells Yahoo Parenting. "Charlotte is the feminine version of Charles, the father of Prince William and is a version of Carole, the name of Kate's mother. Charlotte is also the middle name of Pippa Middleton, Kate's sister."What's more, Elizabeth is the name of the current Queen of England and Prince William's grandmother. And Diana — an unexpected choice given Prince William's late mother's rocky history with the royal family — is a beautiful tribute.
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For months leading up to the birth, the Internet was abuzz with baby name predictions. British bookmakers William Hill were seeing pink and placing odds that the child would be named Alice at 4/1. “As it stands, over 70 percent of William Hill customers believe the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will have a baby girl, with Alice the current favorite name ahead of Elizabeth which is 9/2,” spokesman Rupert Adams told People in March. A fitting choice, as Alice was also the name of Queen Victoria’s second daughter (who breastfed her baby — a shocking act at the time) and the name of Queen Elizabeth II’s aunt Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester who died in 2014 at age 102, according to Nameberry.
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If the baby were a boy, Paddy Power, an Irish bookmaker, had placed the odds for the names Charles and Arthur both at 12-1, Philip 10-1, and Joffrey (a jokey Game of Thrones reference) at 250-1.
“As the name of William’s father, Charles was a prime contender either as a first or middle name,” says Rosenkrantz. “The name has also been bestowed upon kings of France, Spain, England, Portugal, and Hungary. Its distinguished royal history goes back to the emperor Charlemagne—the original Charles the Great.” And the obvious nickname, says Rosenkrantz, is Charlie. Cute!
Arthur also made sense — it’s the middle name of both Prince Charles and Prince William but according to Rosenkrantz it also has “The romantic association with the legendary King Arthur of Camelot.” The Celtic moniker is also rising in popularity in England where it’s the 43rd most popular name and means “bear.”
“And of course, Philip is the name of the baby’s great-grandfather and husband of the reigning Queen,” says Rosenkrantz. “It’s also the middle name of both Charles and William.“
There was similar fanfare in 2013 before Middleton gave birth to Prince George with people placing bets in the 24 million dollar rangeon what the royal couple would name their firstborn, according to Today. George was among the top picks. “George, a Greek name meaning ‘farmer,’ has been the name of more English kings over the past three centuries than any other,” says Rosenkrantz. “That includes George VI, the father of Queen Elizabeth. Saint George is also the patron saint of England, known for his legendary defeat of a dragon.” And of course its countless notable namesakes include Washington, Gershwin, the Bushes, and Clooney.
And while Prince George and George Clooney may have something in common, it was always a given that the royal couple would choose a name less Hollywood and more family-friendly. “Dynastic names provide a sense of continuity and are a mark of respect to those who have gone before,” CNN royal expert Victoria Arbiter tells Yahoo Parenting. “William and Kate wouldn’t have chosen a name that has never been used in the family.”
Welcome to the world Charlotte Elizabeth Diana.
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