Royal Baby name: why it won’t pay to have a flutter at the bookies

WHY IT WON’T PAY TO BET ON THE ROYAL BABY NAME

Experts reveal why culture, rather than tradition, is most likely to influence the name of the new Royal baby

• Bookies favourites ‘Diana’ and ‘Arthur’ unlikely choices due to conflicting cultural views on traditional British names
• Leading authority on the sociology of names reveals the importance of US influence for the name of Harry and Meghan’s baby
• Experts explain why Meghan may choose a gender-neutral name for the baby

As the nation tries to predict the name the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will choose for their first child ahead of his or her impending arrival, new research conducted across all leading baby name websites in the US and UK has shed light on reasons why the bookies’ favourites for the baby’s name are far from accurate.

While British names, such as ‘Victoria’, ‘Grace’ or ‘Alice’ for a girl, or ‘James’ and ‘Arthur’ for a boy, currently occupy the shortest odds, cultural differences in the perception of certain names among UK and US parents, and even how names are pronounced in different accents, could have a profound influence on the name given to the newborn, according to experts.

As the first Royal baby to be born with a British father and American mother, this seemingly small detail will have a big influence on the name of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s baby – meaning those betting on a traditionally British moniker may be sorely disappointed.

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 choose 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.”

According to research among international baby naming websites and communities conducted by My Nametags (www.mynametags.com), something as simple as how names are pronounced in an American accent can put parents off certain names. The name ‘Harry’ is a prime example. While in the UK Harry is the second most popular baby name for boys, in the US its pronunciation as ‘hairy’ has put mothers off, according to conversations on US baby naming website Behindthename.com. ¹ In fact, Harry doesn’t even make the top 50 boys names in the States.

Similarly, ‘Oliver’, which topped the British baby name charts last year, doesn’t receive the same adoration across the pond, with American mothers on Nameberry.com admitting to pronouncing it ‘Aw-Liverrr’ instead of ‘Aw-Livah’ ².  That said, many US mothers on the Behindthename.com parenting community said its association with the fictional character, Oliver Twist, gave the name added appeal. ³

Arthur, which currently has odds of 12/1 with the bookies, is pronounced ‘author’ by Americans, according to mothers discussing the name on the Nameberry US baby naming website.⁴

Second favourite on betting websites, ‘James’, currently has odds of 14/1, but if the Duke and Duchess share the views of British and American mothers on Behindthename.com, who describe the name as ‘common’ and ‘overused’, it’s unlikely to be a top choice. ⁵ James also hasn’t made an appearance in the Royal family since James II in the 17^th Century. He was deposed, so this choice wouldn’t make for the best namesake.

If the Royal baby is a girl, ‘Victoria’, ‘Diana’ and ‘Alice’ currently occupy the top predictions for punters hoping to guess the Duke and Duchess’ baby name. But insights into cultural perceptions of these names across the globe also start to show cracks in their appeal among US parents.

Victoria remains in the top 100 girls’ names in the UK, sitting at 92 in 2018, and is even more popular in the US where it ranked 19^th last year. But, according to Babycenter, the name is branded as pretentious on both sides of the Atlantic and the nickname ‘Vicky’ isn’t popular, either. ⁶

Predictions that Harry and Meghan may be inspired by the name of Prince Philip’s mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, in naming their child ‘Alice’, are also likely to be off the mark. Despite its popularity within the UK’s top 20 girls’ names, in the US Alice doesn’t hold the same level of esteem and is 172^nd on the baby name ranking.

The name ‘Diana’ (3/1), after Harry’s mother Princess Diana, also ranks highly among betting websites as a strong choice of moniker for his first child, while ‘Charles’ currently has odds of 80/1. Commenting on this prediction, Dr Jane Pilcher explains: “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.”

That said, the name Diana isn’t internationally popular and hasn’t ranked in the top 100 UK baby names since 1964.  In the US, whilst popular in the 1950s, today the name is low down at 230^th in the ranking charts.

Lars B. Andersen, Managing Director at My Nametags, said: “We supply name tags to children across the world and so see first-hand the huge influence that different cultures have on child names. Each country has a different set of trends and sociological factors that determine how and what they name their children. This got us thinking about the name of the Royal baby, the fact that bookies were backing only traditionally British names, and the influence Meghan’s nationality will have on the choice of name.”

While in Britain, traditional names, such as James, William, Alexander, Elizabeth and Anne, have stayed in fashion throughout generations, American parents are more likely to be influenced by fashions, trends and pop culture at the time their children are born. For example, ‘Arya’ joined the top US baby name rankings following the success of HBO television series, Game of Thrones.

Lars B. Andersen continues: “While the top children’s names in Britain rarely change, in America we see a constant shift in the top names for boys and girls that’s much more influenced by US popular culture. So, while Harry may be opting for a traditional name, his wife may be hoping for a more modern, trendier moniker for the new baby when it arrives.”

Since joining the Royal family, Meghan has gained a reputation for not always following protocol and for taking her own, unique approach. This may therefore be echoed in her choice of baby name, if she decides to opt for a more Americanised name. Topping the baby name charts in the States in 2018 were ‘Jackson’ for a boy or ‘Sophia’ for a girl, according to Babycentre; although, a UK audience may need some convincing on the former. According to British parents commenting on Mumsnet and Netmums, Jackson is said to be ‘a chav name’, ‘too Americanised’ or ‘more suited to a surname’, with Brits preferring the shortened English name ‘Jack’ to its American rival. ⁷

The same can also be said for ‘Sophia’, with British parents much preferring the English ‘Sophie’ to its American counterpart, according to users of Mumsnet, who even went as so far as to describe the US version as ‘dull and overdone’.⁸

According to Dr Jane Pilcher, if the child is a boy it will be much harder to predict its name. As she explains: “Boys’ names in England and Wales are becoming increasingly diverse and are catching up with girls’ names in terms of variety. For example, in 1996, there were 3,714 names used for boys, compared to 5,000 for girls. In 2016, there were 6,247 names used for boys, compared to 7,500 for girls.

“They are also becoming more informal. For example, ‘Charlie’, ‘Alfie’, ‘Freddie’ and ‘Archie’ are now hugely popular ‘registered at birth’ forenames, rather than casualised abbreviations of the formal ‘Charles’, ‘Alfred’, ‘Frederick’ and ‘Archibald’. There is not the same informalisation of popular girls’ names in the UK, nor is this trend evident in the top US names. Given Meghan’s reputation for not following Royal protocol, she may mix things up a bit by choosing a traditional boys’ name – but with a twist of informality, like Alfie or Archie.”

The most popular boys’ names in the US have little crossover with parents across the pond, with ‘Jackson’, ‘Liam’, ‘Aiden’ and ‘Caden’ – currently the top boys’ names in America – barely scraping into the top 100 listing in Britain. The only name that both Brits and their transatlantic neighbours agree on is ‘Noah’, which makes the top five in both the States and the UK.

Perhaps more reassuring for Harry and Meghan, is that we have more in common when it comes to girls’ names, as ‘Olivia’ and ‘Ava’ are hugely popular in both countries – both appearing in the top 5 listings. ‘Isabella’ and ‘Sophia’, which feature in the US top 5, also make the UK’s top 20 listings, despite dividing opinions amongst British parents. The only name that breaks the trend, ‘Emma’, has dropped out of favour with UK parents since the 1990s, according to the Office of National Statistics.⁹

Dr Jane Pilcher explains why the House of Sussex may not even choose a traditional gender-specific boys name or girls name: “The name Avery is ranked 14^th in the US for girls but in the UK it’s 637^th and is almost as popular a name for boys, ranking at 581^st. Given Meghan’s feminism, she may choose a forename, like Avery, that is more gender neutral.”

Lars B. Andersen concludes: “Like so many others, we are eagerly awaiting the birth of the Royal baby and news of his or her name. In the meantime, we urge anyone planning on having a flutter at the bookies to consider all outside influences. After all, we suspect that Harry and Meghan’s first born is destined to break with tradition.”

For more information, please visit: www.mynametags.com