Royal boys’ names

1. Alfred – Alfred the Great was a 9th-century English king, and means ‘wise’. Alfie, the shortened version of Alfred, is a very popular first name for boys in the UK. In 2011 it was the fourth most popular boys name.
2. Arthur - Made popular because of the legendary hero King Arthur, the name means ‘bear’ and ‘strong’.
3. Andrew – The name of the Duke of York, Andrew means ‘courageous’ .
4. Charles – The Prince of Wales’ name, Charles means ‘free’.
5. Edward – One of the most common royal names, meaning ‘guardian’.
6. George – Meaning ‘farmer’, King George VI reigned for almost eleven years when he was crowned in 1936. His story can be seen in the recent feature film starring Colin Firth, The King’s Speech.
7. James – A name of Hebrew origin, five kings of Scotland were named James, which means ‘he who supplants’. James V of Scotland (son of Mary Queen of Scots) became James I of England and Ireland from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603. He was also responsible for the English translation of the bible, often referred to as the King James Bible.
8. Richard – Richard I, known as Richard the Lionheart, ruled from 1189 to 1199. The name means, ‘brave’ and ‘strong’.
9. Stephen – Stephen, King of England ruled from 1134 to 1141. The name means ‘crown’ or ‘garland’.
10. William – One of the more popular names for members of the royal family, William means ‘resolute protector’.

What, where is Harry? Yes, Harry is the nickname or pet name for a very royal name, Henry. Associated with Henry VIII (1491 – 1547) and our current Prince Henry of Wales (born 1984). We’ve left it out of the top 10 royal boys names because it has become perhaps just a little bit too popular in the UK. See our map of boys names in England and Wales here to see what we mean.

Royal girls’ names

1. Anne – The name of the daughter of Queen Elizabeth II, Anne means ‘grace’ and ‘favoured by God’.
2. Beatrice – Princess Beatrice was the youngest daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and was known as ‘Baby’ for most of her childhood. The name means ‘bringer of gladness’.
3. Caroline – Caroline of Ansbach was the Queen Consort of King George II. The name means ‘free’.
4. Diana – The name of the late Princess of Wales, the name means ‘luminous’ and ‘perfect’.
5. Eleanor – The name of several British princesses, it means ‘light of the sun’.
6. Elizabeth – The name of the current monarch, Elizabeth II means ‘consecrated to God’. Elizabeth is also a name associated with a bright well behaved child by many UK teachers. Elizabeth I of England, also known as Good Queen Bess and Gloriana was the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Her era is known for its English drama, led by William Shakespeare and for the seafaring prowess of English adventurers such as Sir Francis Drake.
7. Helena – Helena was the name of Queen Victoria’s third daughter, and is another name that means ‘light of the sun’.
8. Louise – The youngest surviving daughter of George II, Louise means ‘renowned in battle’.
9. Margaret – The name of Queen Elizabeth II’s sister, Margaret means ‘pearl’.
10. Victoria – Queen Victoria reigned for 64 years from 1837. The name means ‘victorious’.

Photography: Chris Breeze @Flickr