Kate Middleton Talks Baby Names And How George, Charlotte & Louis Were Chosen Amid ‘Big Pressure’

Oct 20, 2022 by apost team

What's in a name? A lot, particularly if you happen to be a member of the British royal family. A name can show the difference between how senior a member of your children is to another, who you are honoring in inheriting a previous name and even how far your chances are in inheriting the throne. All this and more must have been playing on the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton's mind prior to becoming a mother in 2013.

After marrying Prince William in April 2011, the palace announced Kate was pregnant in December 2012. The news kicked up a storm for London bookmakers, who began taking bets on everything from the gender of the child, the exact date of birth, the baby's weight and most importantly, the baby's name. Speculation went into overdrive the minute Kate's first pregnancy was announced, with bookies taking hedges on her having twins (33-1 odds), the child being born on July 13 (10-1 odds) and the name Alexandra – Queen Elizabeth II's middle name, Queen Victoria's real name and King Edward VII's wife's name – becoming some of the top predictions.

But all bets were off the day the princess delivered her son at St Mary's Hospital in London on July 22, 2013. When it was revealed the child would be named George Alexander Louis, it hardly came as a shock, particularly as the names of the last 11 monarchs have been Elizabeth, George, Edward, George, Edward, Victoria, William, George, George, George and George.

So, just how vital was it that Kate got it right that first time? Were there any royal rules she had to follow? Read on to find out.

In naming her firstborn son and future heir to the throne George, Kate was following in some mighty royal footsteps, according to Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine.

"When it's a future royal monarch, tradition and continuity play a big role, which is why there are lots of Georges and Williams to underline the continuity of the house of Windsor and prior to that, the royal dynasty. A name is often a tribute, or honors respected members of the family," Little said.

That tribute also extends to their middle names, of which royal babies have many. Kate named her second child, a daughter, Charlotte Elizabeth Diana and her third child Louis Arthur Charles.

Meanwhile, some royal babies are typically given more leeway to opt for less traditional names, according to Carolyn Harris, author of Raising Royalty: 1,000 Years of Royal Parenting.

"The further down the line of succession, the more likely you are to have a more unique or untraditional name," Harris said. That's the reason why atypical names such as Princess Eugenie, her sister Princess Beatrice and Zara Tindall aren't perhaps named Elizabeths or Victorias.

Meanwhile, while the reigning monarch does not have to give his or her approval for royal baby names, it is customary that they are informed beforehand of the choice. According to The Independent, "Per royal protocol, members of the royal family typically share the name they have chosen for their child with Queen Elizabeth II before announcing it." 

It's no wonder, then, that royal baby names have made their way into the public consciousness, what with their allusions to aristocracy, privilege, nobility and distinction. In fact, in 2022, among the top 10 baby names for boys includes no less than three names of popular senior members of the royal family now.

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In 2022, the UK's Office of National Statistics released a list of the most popular baby names. For boys, the most popular name was Noah, followed by Oliver, George, Arthur, Muhammad, Leo, Harry, Oscar, Archie and Henry. For girls, the most popular name was Olivia, followed by Amelia, Isla, Ava, Ivy, Freya, Lily, Florence, Mia and Willow.

Names stay with you forever, and no one is more aware and affected by this than the parents of the child. This is why when Kate visited the Royal Surrey County Hospital's maternity unit in Guildford on Oct. 5, 2022, baby names were a hot topic of conversation.

Dressed in a mustard yellow midi dress, Kate toured the facility and took some time to speak to staff and patients there. Even for someone with Kate's stature, seeing other moms could not help but remind her of her own experiences. 

She also held a baby born prematurely at 34 weeks and five days. "She's very sweet," the princess said.

Amy Stubbs, the hospital's deputy director of midwifery, said Kate struck up some interesting conversations with the moms there.

"She was very relatable. She talked a lot about how it felt for her when she became a mother," Stubbs told People.

"She just really talked about her own children including how they chose their names," Amy continued telling the outlet.

"A lot of the new mums and dads are thinking about how to choose names for their babies, and they spoke with her about how Kate and William made their choice."

Stubbs added:

"She said they were their favorite names and that obviously the world was waiting for them to name their children – and that felt like quite a big pressure!"

What do you think about Kate's choice of names for her children? Would you have gone for the same? Let us know, and feel free to pass this along to friends and family too.