English Royalty Names for Females

Princess Charlotte of Cambridge's first birthday is today, May 2, 2016. To celebrate, let's take a look at the names of female rulers of England and other Royal Princesses.

While there have been many rulers of England in history, the vast majority of them have been male. However, some of the most influential rulers were the Queens, especially Queen Victoria and our current, long-reigning Queen Elizabeth II.

Last week we took a look at the names of male rulers and their meanings and popularity over time. Now it is time to look at the women.

Names of Queens of England:

Mary:

Mary comes from the Greek Mariam and Maria which were derived from the Hebrew Miryam. It's no secret that Mary (and Maria and Marie, etc) is by far the #1 name for women around the world. It ranked at either #1 or #2 in the US from 1880-1965. It wasn't until 2009 that it dropped out of the Top 100. As of 2014, Mary ranked at #120. It has been so well used that its starting to be a bit less favorable but it will most likely always be in decent use.

1553-1558 Mary I House of Tudor
1689-1694 William III of Orange and Mary II (jointly) House of Orange

Elizabeth:

Elizabeth comes from the Hebrew name Elisheva meaning "God is an oath" or "pledged to God". This name has been used well by Christians in Europe and in medieval England, especially after the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in the 16th century.  Elizabeth ranked in the Top 10 from 1880-1923, and again from the 1980s to now. The name has always been within the Top 30 though. It is also extremely popular as a middle name. In 2014, it ranked at #14.

1558-1603 Elizabeth I
1952- Elizabeth II (Queen of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Head of the Commonwealth of Nations)

Anne:

Anne is the French form of Anna which, along with Hannah, comes from the Hebrew name Channah meaning "grace".  Anne and Ann were introduced to England in the 13th century and was commonly used since then. Anne has always ranked within the Top 700, typically within the Top 200. As of 2014, it ranked at #553.

1702-1714 Anne House of Stuart

Victoria:

Victoria means "victory" in Latin, in line with the Roman goddess of victory. It is the feminine form of the male Victorius. Believe it or not, Victoria was a rare name until Queen Victoria came around in the 19th century. Victoria has always ranked within the Top 300. It ranked the best within the 1990s. As of 2014, it was #19.

1837-1901 Victoria (Empress of India 1876-1901) House of Hanover

Short-reigning female rulers who were snubbed of their right to rule:

Matilda:

Matilda comes from the Germanic name Mahthildis meaning "strength in battle", from the elements maht "might, strength" and hild "battle". This was the name of a woman who was very nearly a ruler of England. It has also been the name of some wives of kings. The name was popular in England after being introduced by the Normans. Matilda ranked well in the US around 1915. It ranked within the Top 1000 from 1880 to the early 1960s, fell off the chart, and is now back on it as of 2008. The name is slowly climbing the charts, ranking at #583 in 2014.

Empress Matilda (7 April 1141 – 1 November 1141 - daughter of Henry I)

Jane:

Jane is the female form of John which comes from Jehanne, Iohannes and ultimately the Hebrew name Yochanan meaning "YAHWEH is gracious".  Jane ranked in the Top 100 from 1911 to 1965. It has now dropped down to #322 in 2014.

Lady Jane (10 July 1553 – 19 July 155)

Other Royal Names for Females: 

The following list is compiled from the firsts and middle names of Royal Princesses by blood, as well as some of the names of the wives of kings.  I recommend that you take a look at this page that lists out the first/middle name combinations. These are so beautiful and worth a browse.

Adelaide
Adeliza
Adolphine
Agnes
Alberta
Alexandra
Alexandrina
Alice
Amelia
Anne
Augusta
Beatrice
Berengaria
Bertha
Blanche
Caroline
Catherine
Charlotte
Christabel
Dagmar
Dorothea
Edith
Edwina
Eleanor
Elisabeth
Elizabeth
Emma
Ernestine
Feodore
Frederica
Georgiana
Georgina
Helen
Helena
Henrietta
Isabel
Isabella
Josephine
Leopoldine
Louise
Margaret
Maria
Marie
Mary
Matilda
Maud
Melita
Norah
Olga
Patricia
Pauline
Philippa
Rose
Sophia
Theresa
Vera
Victoria
Wilhemina

There are probably some names that were missed or deemed a bit too unusual to include. Of the names above that made the list, which do you like most?  What would you name a future sister to George and Charlotte of Cambridge?

English Royalty Names for Males

How long have there been rulers in England? At least on record, we can trace their names pretty far back. For a while, the kingdoms were separate and set up differently than today. Currently, Queen Elizabeth II reigns over Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Scotland, Ireland and Wales have all had their own rulers over time before becoming united as they are now.

For this article, we will look strictly at the rulers of England. There will be posts in the future looking strictly at the names of the rulers of Wales and Scotland, but for now, let's focus on England.

There have been many ruling Houses overtime and those rulers have had some interesting names. I didn't include some of the really early rulers since their names are unlikely to be used today and there are so many of them. We'll look at some of the more traditional names that are still in use such as William, Henry and John.

I won't pretend to be a historian. This won't be a history lesson. We are simply taking a look at some of the names that have been in use in England in the past until now. I won't be including the names of every single ruler since that'd be a very long list, and borders and dates get a little complicated. This article will focus on the male rulers and our next article will feature female rulers.

The Æthels:

Æthelwulf (839-856)  "noble wolf"

Æthelbald (856-860) "noble and bold"

Æthelbert (860-866) "noble and bright"

Æthelred I (866-871) "noble counsel"

Athelstan (925-940)  "noble stone"

Ethelred II the Unready (978-1016) "noble counsel"

The Eds:

Edward: 

The name Edward comes from Old English elements meaning "rich guard". This is one of a few Old English names that survived time and was not replaced by the names brought to England by the Normans. In the US, Edward ranked best between the 1920s and the 1960s. In 2014, it was #160.

899-925 Edward the Elder
975-978 Edward the Martyr
1042-1066 Edward the Confessor
1272-1307 Edward I
1307-1327 Edward II
1327-1377 Edward III
1461-1483 Edward IV
1483 Edward V
1547-1553 Edward VI
1901-1910 Edward VII

Edmund:

Edmund comes from Old English elements meaning "wealth" and "protection". Like Edward, this name remained in use after the Norman conquest but unlike Edward, it became less common over time. It was used in the US around 1920, a bit through the 1940s and 1950s but it declined after that. It has not ranked in the Top 1000 since 1997. There were only 172 boys named Edmund in 2014.

940-946 Edmund
1016 Edmund Ironside

Edred:

Edred means "rich counsel". It comes from Eadræd from the Old English elements ead meaning "rich, blessed" and ræd meaning "counsel".  It has never been in use in the US.

946-955 Edred

Edwy

Edwy comes from Eadwig which is derived from the Old English elements ead meaning "wealth, fortune" and wig meaning "war".  It has not been used in the US.

955-959 Edwy

Edgar 

Edgar is derived from the Old English elements ead meaning "wealth, fortune" and gar meaning "spear". It ranked well around 1918, declined, then regained popularity recently through the 1990s-2000s. It's back on the decline now but still ranks at #300 in 2014.

959-975 Edgar

The Traditionals:

Alfred: 

Alfred means "elf counsel". It is derived from the Old English name Ælfræd, which is composed of the elements ælf meaning "elf" and ræd meaning "counsel". Alfred has always ranked in the Top 1000 but it's ranking down toward the bottom of it these days. It peaked in 1928 with 6,246 births. In 2014 it ranked at #799 in the US.

871-899 Alfred the Great

Harold:

From the Old English name Hereweald which is derived from the elements here meaning "army" and weald meaning "power, leader, ruler". It is also similar to the Old Norse name Haraldr which was popular with the Scandinavians living in England. Harold lost popularity after the Norman conquest until it was revived again in the 19th century.  It has really only done well in the US around 1920. It declined in usage after the 1940s but it still ranks within the Top 1000 even now. In 2014, it was at #828.

1035-1040 Harold I Harefoot
1066 Harold II

William:

William comes from the Germanic name Willahelm which was composed of the elements wil meaning "will, desire" and helm meaning "helmet, protection". This name was common with the Normans and very popular in England. William has almost always been a Top 10 name, never ranking lower than #20. It has ranked at #5 from 2012-2014 in the US.

1066-1087 William I
1087-1100 William II
1689-1694 William III of Orange and Mary II (jointly)
1694-1702 William III (alone)
1830-1837 William IV (King of Hanover)

Henry:

The name Henry means "home ruler". It comes from the Germanic name Heimirich which is composed of the elements heim "home" and ric "power, ruler". It was a popular royalty name in Germany, as Heinrich, for many years. France used Henri. The Normans took this name to England and it became common there as Henry. Henry ranked well around 1918 and in the 1940s. It has always ranked within the Top 200 names in the US, most recently gaining popularity again for a rank of #33 in 2014.

1100-1135 Henry I
1154-1189 Henry II
1216-1272 Henry III
1399-1413 Henry IV
1413-1422 Henry V
1422-1461 Henry VI
1485-1509 Henry VII
1509-1547 Henry VIII

Stephen:

Stephen comes from the Greek name Στεφανος Stephanos meaning "crown". Respecting the Greek pronunciation, it's said the same as its anglicized form Steven. This is another name made popular in England by the Normans. It was also commonly used by Christians in honor of St. Stephen. Stephen was most popular in 1952, the late 1960s and the mid 1980s. In 2014, its down in popularity, but it still ranks at #258 in the US.

1135-1154 Stephen

Eustace: 

Eustace is the English form of Eustachius which comes from the Greek Eustachys meaning "fruitful", or possibly it comes from Eustathius and Eustathios meaning "well-built, stable". Eustace was mostly used between the 1910s and 1960s but it was never popular. These days it is nearly extinct, but there were 7 births in 2014 and 5 in 2011. Before that, there weren't any since 5 in 1997. Rare indeed.

1152-1153 Count Eustace IV of Boulogne (appointed co-king of England by his father King Stephen)

Richard: 

The name Richard was introduced to England by the Normans. It means "brave power", derived from the Germanic elements ric meaning "power, rule" and hard meaning "brave, hardy".  In the US, Richard was a Top 10 name from 1920 to 1970. It's currently at a low point of #141 in 2014, but that still accounts for 2,857 births for the year.

1189-1199 Richard I
1377-1399 Richard II
1483-1485 Richard III
1658-1659 Richard Cromwell (Not a King, but the Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland)

John:  

John comes from the Latin Iohannes which comes from the Greek Ioannes, which is derived from the Hebrew Yochanan meaning "YAHWEH is gracious". This is possibly the most popular boy name of all time. It first flourished in early Europe, eventually being given to 1 in 5 boys by the Middle Ages. In the US, it ranked at #1 from 1880-1923 and remained in the Top 10 until 1985.By 2014, it slipped to #26.

1199-1216:  John

Louis 

Louis is the French form of Ludovicus which is the Latinized form of Ludwig. Ludwig is derived from the Germanic name Chlodovech which comes from the elements hlud meaning "famous" and wig meaning "war". This name was used for 18 kings of France, but only an unofficial temporary ruler of England. It was usually spelled as Lewis in England, but not for royalty. Louis was most popular in the US around 1918. As of 2014, it ranks #289.

1216-1217 Louis VIII of France (unofficially ruled England)

James:

James has taken over as the new overall most-popular boy name of the last 100 years since John's popularity has fallen.  James comes from the Late Latin name Iacomus which comes from the Greek Iakobos and the Hebrew Ya'aqov. James was a Top 10 name from 1880-1992, including a number of years at #1. In 2014, it returned to #9.

1603-1625 James I (King of Scotland as James VI 1567-1625)
1685-1688 James II

Charles:

Charles comes from the Germanic name Karl, which was derived from a Germanic word meaning "man". Charlemagne (742-814) made this name very popular in Europe, but it wasn't common in Britain until the 17th century. In the US, it was a Top 10 name from 1880-1954. It's still in the Top 100 but as of 2014, it ranks at #51.

1625-1649 Charles I
1660-1685 Charles II

Oliver:

Oliver comes from the Norman French name Olivier which is a form of the Germanic name Alfher. That comes from the Old Norse Áleifr or Olaf meaning "ancestor's desendant". However, the spelling and meaning of Oliver was later altered by the Latin oliva which means "olive tree". While the name has always been in the US Top 1000, it's really climbed the charts in the past decade. In 2014, it was #32.

1653-1658 Oliver Cromwell (Not a King, but the Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland)

George:

George comes from the Greek name Georgios which comes from the Greek word georgos meaning "farmer, earthworker". That name itself was derived from the elements ge meaning "earth" and ergon meaning "work".  In the US, George was most popular around 1920 and 1947. It declined since then but still ranked at #134 in 2014.

1714-1727 George I
1727-1760 George II
1760-1820 George III (Elector, 1760-1815, and King,1815-20, of Hanover)
1820-1830 George IV
1910-1936 George V
1936-1952 George VI

This is a somewhat limited list of rulers, but these are some excellent names. While you probably won't meet anyone named Æthelbald, you surely know someone with one of the more traditional names.

George was used recently for the son of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.  If Will and Kate were to have another son, what do you think they would name him? Using the names above, what would you name a royal prince? 

Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana: Behind Her Name

Congratulations are in order!! The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge welcomed a daughter into the world on May 2, 2015 at 8:34 am in the Lindo Wing of St. Mary's Hospital in London.  The delivery was quick and easy for Catherine! They left the hospital roughly 10 hours after Princess Charlotte was born and took her home. 

We were left waiting for an additional day to find out what name they chose. Speculation was everywhere! There were even bets being placed on the name. So many people were betting on Alice at first and suddenly the opinion changed to Charlotte which might indicate that someone somewhere knew beforehand. Either way, there was probably plenty of money lost and won.

Finally, the official announcement came from Kensington Palace:

"The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted to announce that they have named their daughter Charlotte Elizabeth Diana.  

The baby will be known as Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Cambridge."

Let's take a look at her name:

Charlotte:

The infant Charlotte, Princess Royal, in 1767
with her mother, Queen Charlotte. Source

Queen Charlotte was the wife of King George III. She was a botanist who founded the Kew Gardens. Their first daughter was also named Charlotte. She later married Frederick of Württemberg and was known as the Queen of Württemberg.

King George IV also used the name for his only child, the Princess Charlotte of Wales who had been an heir to the throne but died in childbirth in 1817 at the age of 21 which greatly distressed the nation.

Duchess Catherine also has the name on her side of the family. She had a great-great-great grandmother named Charlotte Ablett who was born in 1825.  Charlotte is also the middle name of Catherine's sister, Pippa Middleton.

Reaching further, the name Charlotte is related to the name Charles which of course honors William's father, the Prince of Wales. It is also related to Catherine's mother's name, Carole.

In the US, Charlotte is rather popular. It ranked #11 in 2013. It only ranked at #21 in England/Wales but it is now expected to have a boost of popularity because of the new princess.

Elizabeth:

Elizabeth, of course, is the name of our current Queen. It was also the name of her mother who became the Queen Mother.  There was also Elizabeth I who reigned way back in 1558.  Elizabeth is Catherine's middle name too!

This is one of the most classic names ever for girls. It was nearly everyone's guess for one of the middle names. In the US, Elizabeth has never ranked outside of the Top 30 names. It was #10 in 2013!  In England/Wales, Elizabeth ranked at #39 in 2013.

Diana:

This name was the one that everyone wanted the Duke and Duchess to use, but nobody was sure if they actually would or not. As you know, Diana was the name of Prince William's later mother Princess Diana who died tragically in 1997. She was loved all around the world.

This name is the one that holds the most sentiment out of the three. It is a beautiful choice that honors someone very important to William and the country.  As a name in the US, Diana ranked at #270.

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What do you think of the names that they chose for the new Princess? Did you guess correctly? Were you hoping for something different? Share your thoughts below!

You can also flashback to 2013 and learn more about Charlotte's big brother's name: Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge.

The Prince of Cambridge Has A Name!

The name of the Prince of Cambridge, the third in line to the throne of England, has finally been announced!

What do you think of this Royal Baby Name? Is it fitting for a future King?  I think it is extremely strong and handsome. Perfect for this little Prince.  George was pretty much a sure thing and everyone was betting on it. Alexander is my own son's middle name and one of my very favorites. It wasn't on anyone's radar as an option. Louis is one of Prince William's middle names!

Here's the breakdown of what each of the names mean and who else has worn these names in the Royal Family:

George is a Greek name meaning "Farmer." The fact that they chose it is probably meant to reflect the humbleness of a farmer so that the Prince can always be down-to-earth and a more compassionate ruler. It is a strong name that is both royal and saintly. It was worn by the King of Britain for 116 years straight!  Most notably, George directly honors the most recent King George VI who was Queen Elizabeth's father. His full name was Albert "Bertie" Frederick Arthur George and he died in 1952. George is also one of the middle names of Grandpa Charles, the Prince of Wales.

Alexander is a Greek name meaning "Defender of Man" and puts a huge responsibility on this little prince already. In addition to giving him the humility and meekness of a farmer, he is meant to defend those around him with honor. This may be a nod to Queen Victoria whose real first name was Alexandrina.  And of course, the baby's Great-Grandmother, HRH Queen Elizabeth's middle name is Alexandra. There haven't been any King Alexanders in England.

Louis is a German and French name meaning "Renowned Warrior" which is another big meaning for a little prince. He is meant to be strong and brave and, combined with the other two meanings, protect his people. There was one King Louis who lived from 1187-1226 and had 13 children! Otherwise, this name is more frequently used in the middle name spot.  Prince William has this as a middle name and so does his uncle Prince Edward.

George Alexander Louis in his mother's arms.
Via The British Monarchy's Facebook

What do you think of this royal name for our new little prince? Did you guess correctly? Do you like it?

The Prince Has Left The Building!

We got our first glimpse of the Prince of Cambridge! The proud parents Prince William and his wife Catherine briefly spoke with reporters today when they left the hospital.

They said that the baby is quite heavy and definitely has a strong pair of lungs on him. William changed the baby's first nappy and this whole experience has been very emotional for them. He also said that they are just now having a chance to be with him and get to know him so they haven't been able to pin down the perfect name yet.

Having a child of my own, I can relate to the whirlwind of events that come with childbirth. However, when you add in all of the media surrounding the hospital, the fact that you are royal, and the pressure of being charged with naming the future King of England, I cannot blame them for wanting to take a bit more time deciding on the name. After all, naming any child is a huge responsibility that should be taken very seriously. When you're naming royalty, it is that much more important.

Congratulations again to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. We had just a brief glimpse at the small child but he looked adorable already. William joked that the baby has all of his mother's looks to which Catherine sweetly disagreed with a laugh.

Hopefully we will soon be able to see a few baby photos and learn what name they've chosen! All in good time!

The Royal Baby is Finally Here!

This was as clear as the image could get.

Have you heard? We have a new future King of England! The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have just welcomed a son into the world!

The media has been abuzz about them since they announced their pregnancy months ago! And in the past few weeks, speculation on the gender and the name of the baby has skyrocketed. There were even bookies in England taking bets on what name would ultimately be chosen. (I wonder who scored big and who lost!)

I watched on a live news stream as the official correspondent left the hospital, entered the gates at Buckingham Palace and placed the official birth announcement on a golden easel.  The document said:

"Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 4.24pm."

The baby is already being hailed as the Prince of Cambridge. He was born today, July 22nd in the  St. Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London. He weighed in at 8 lbs and 6 oz. A healthy start for new royalty! I'm sure all of England is rejoicing!

Media is swarming!

The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth and the mother and child are doing well! She will remain in the hospital overnight but they should be announcing the baby's name very soon!

The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and other family members have indeed been informed and are delighted with the news.

A royal announcement was made by an official in a red uniform with a scroll. He started by saying "Hear ye Hear ye" and revealed that it is indeed a son and ended with "Long live the Queen!" It was all very official and exciting. The media outside the palace cheered!

Later, the doctor left the building and shouted "It is a beautiful baby boy!" as he passed by.

I will update you again when the name is revealed!

Royal Baby Name Odds! What's Your Guess?

Image: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, by Featureflash / Shutterstock.com

Soon, England will have a brand new heir to the throne. Prince William and Kate Middleton are expecting a royal offspring soon and bets are flying as to the gender and the name. A bookmaking firm in the UK are even taking bets on what the child's future profession might be and what their hair color would be. (Click here to view all the odds.)

Some people are beginning to wonder if these bookmakers know something that we don't. William and Kate have stated that they do not know the gender of the child and are not going to find out until it is born, but the bookmakers have the odds set at 2-7 for a little princess, and only 11-2 for a prince. This may be based on a slip-up from Kate where she very nearly said "my daughter."

The girl name with the best odds is Alexandra at 5-2. This seems to be the most popular choice all around and it happens to have been my first choice before I ever saw the odds. Queen Alexandra sounds beautiful to me!

In second place is Charlotte with 4/1 odds, which is the middle name of Kate's sister Philippa "Pippa" Middleton.  Charlotte is also a feminization of Charles, who is William's father. This name has become a popular choice to bet on recently, as odds have changed from 12-1 to 4-1.

Elizabeth, the name of William's grandmother and the reigning Queen of England, is ranked at 5/1 odds. However, I have doubts that they would want to purposefully place another Queen Elizabeth back on the throne so soon.  Personally, I would go for a different name to avoid confusion ("which Queen Elizabeth?") even though they do sometimes choose an entirely different name to be known as.

Diana is ranked in 4th place with the odds of 6/1. While Diana is the name of Prince William's late mother, this is not a historically royal name (it has no royal antecedents.) Also, since the accession rules have changed, William and Kate's firstborn will be the heir no matter the gender. With lingering mixed-feelings about Diana's inharmonious history, it truly does not have a good chance of first name usage. However, I would bet on Diana being one of the child's multiple middle names.

More odds include Victoria (7-1), Mary (10-1), Eleanor (12-1), Alice (14-1), Anne, Frances, Grace and Sophia (20-1) for girls.

For boys, the number one name on the bookmaker's radar is George which ranks at 12-1. George is my top pick for a boy. It is a handsome and strong regal name, the name of Queen Elizabeth's grandfather.

Next would be Charles (William's father's name) ranking in at 25/1 along with James, John, Louis and Phillip (the name of Queen Elizabeth's husband, William's grandfather.) These top boy contenders are very handsome and have a solid history. I would be happy seeing any of them used, but I have to say that I don't think Charles will be chosen as a first name. It just seems a bit too soon to have another Charles since the current Prince Charles is first in line to the throne.

Other boy names that I'd like to see used include Albert, Alfred, Arthur and Frederick.

What do you think?  Place your bets on the first name, and just for fun, throw in some middle names that you'd like to see used!

My bets:  Alexandra and George.

Alexandra Charlotte Diana Grace or Alexandra Diana Elizabeth Mary

George Arthur William Philip or George Albert Charles Louis

That was extremely difficult to decide upon. I even looked at all of the immediate relatives' names to see which names haven't been used very frequently and which have.  However, if they don't go with the most traditional and obvious choices that the family always seems to use, I'd love to see something slightly more unexpected like Alexandra Eleanor Diana Margaret or Alexandra Isabella Matilda Jane. And for boys: George Frederick Albert Thomas or George Oliver Michael Rupert.

Okay, I'll stop there. This is way too much fun! (I should have been royal!)   Of course, it is not up to me! We shall wait and see what they choose!  Place your bets!