Royal Baby Names
Royal names carry centuries of history and an instant sense of polish. When Prince William and Catherine chose George, Charlotte and Louis, they were reaching back to kings and queens of the past — and parents around the world followed. European royal houses add their own favorites, from Spain’s Leonor to Sweden’s Estelle and Norway’s Ingrid Alexandra.
This list covers 100+ royal baby names: today’s young British royals, the classic names of English monarchs, current European royals, names that literally mean king, queen, prince or princess, and famous rulers from around the world. For more, see royal boy names, princess names and queen names.
Names from today’s British royal family
The youngest royals mix tradition with a few surprises. Most carry several middle names honoring earlier monarchs.
| Name | Royal namesake | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| George | Prince George of Wales (b. 2013) | Farmer, earth-worker |
| Charlotte | Princess Charlotte of Wales (b. 2015) | Free (feminine of Charles) |
| Louis | Prince Louis of Wales (b. 2018) | Famous warrior |
| Archie | Prince Archie, son of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex | Genuine, bold (from Archibald) |
| Lilibet | Princess Lilibet, named for Queen Elizabeth II’s childhood nickname | Pet form of Elizabeth, “God is my oath” |
| Sienna | Sienna, daughter of Princess Beatrice | From the Italian city of Siena; a reddish-brown |
| Athena | Athena, Princess Beatrice’s second daughter (b. 2025) | The Greek goddess of wisdom |
| August | August, son of Princess Eugenie | Venerable, majestic |
| Ernest | Ernest, Princess Eugenie’s second son | Serious, resolute |
| Mia | Mia Tindall, daughter of Zara | Mine; or short for Maria |
| Lena | Lena Tindall | Short for Helena or Magdalena, “light” |
| Lucas | Lucas Tindall | From Lucania; often read as “light” |
| Savannah | Savannah Phillips, Princess Anne’s granddaughter | Treeless plain |
| Isla | Isla Phillips | From the island of Islay |
| Louise | Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor | Famous warrior |
| James | James, Earl of Wessex | Supplanter (from Jacob) |
Classic names of English and British monarchs
These names have been worn by kings and queens for a thousand years. For more historical picks, see king names and medieval names.
| Name | Famous royal | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| William | William the Conqueror; Prince William | Resolute protector |
| Henry | Eight English kings, including Henry VIII | Ruler of the home |
| Edward | Eight English kings, including Edward the Confessor | Wealthy guardian |
| Richard | Richard the Lionheart | Strong ruler |
| Charles | King Charles III | Free man |
| Elizabeth | Queen Elizabeth I and Elizabeth II | God is my oath |
| Victoria | Queen Victoria (reigned 1837–1901) | Victory |
| Mary | Mary I, Mary II and Mary, Queen of Scots | Beloved, or bitter |
| Anne | Queen Anne; Princess Anne | Grace, favor |
| Matilda | Empress Matilda, claimant to the English throne | Mighty in battle |
| Eleanor | Eleanor of Aquitaine, queen of France and England | Possibly “the other Aénor” |
| Alexandra | Queen Alexandra, wife of Edward VII | Defender of the people |
| Adelaide | Queen Adelaide, wife of William IV | Noble kind |
| Caroline | Caroline of Ansbach, wife of George II | Free (feminine of Charles) |
| Margaret | Princess Margaret; Saint Margaret of Scotland | Pearl |
| Philip | Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh | Lover of horses |
| Albert | Prince Albert, Victoria’s husband | Noble and bright |
| Harry | Prince Harry; medieval form of Henry | Ruler of the home |
| Arthur | The legendary king; Prince Arthur Tudor | Possibly “bear” |
| Alfred | Alfred the Great | Elf counsel |
Names from European royal families
Continental royals favor elegant, internationally friendly names. Many are easy to use in English, too.
| Name | Royal namesake | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Leonor | Leonor, Princess of Asturias, heir to the Spanish throne | Spain |
| Sofia | Infanta Sofía, Leonor’s sister | Spain |
| Estelle | Princess Estelle, second in line after her mother, Crown Princess Victoria | Sweden |
| Oscar | Prince Oscar, Estelle’s brother | Sweden |
| Ingrid | Princess Ingrid Alexandra | Norway |
| Sverre | Prince Sverre Magnus | Norway |
| Christian | Crown Prince Christian | Denmark |
| Isabella | Princess Isabella | Denmark |
| Josephine | Princess Josephine | Denmark |
| Vincent | Prince Vincent | Denmark |
| Amalia | Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange | Netherlands |
| Alexia | Princess Alexia | Netherlands |
| Ariane | Princess Ariane | Netherlands |
| Elisabeth | Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant | Belgium |
| Gabriel | Prince Gabriel of Belgium | Belgium |
| Eléonore | Princess Eléonore | Belgium |
| Jacques | Hereditary Prince Jacques | Monaco |
| Gabriella | Princess Gabriella, Jacques’s twin | Monaco |
| Madeleine | Princess Madeleine | Sweden |
| Aiko | Princess Aiko (Toshi-no-miya) | Japan |
Names that mean king, queen, prince or princess
If you want a name that is royal by definition, these are the literal choices. See also names that mean king and names that mean queen.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Rex | King | Latin |
| Regina | Queen | Latin |
| Rey | King | Spanish |
| Reina | Queen | Spanish |
| Basil | Royal, kingly | Greek |
| Ryan | Little king (Irish Ó Riain, popular etymology) | Irish |
| Reagan | Little king, or descendant of Riagán | Irish |
| Malik | King | Arabic |
| Malika | Queen | Arabic |
| Raja | King | Sanskrit |
| Rani | Queen | Sanskrit |
| Kingsley | King’s wood | English |
| Leroy | The king (Old French <em>le roi</em>) | French, English |
| Sarah | Princess | Hebrew |
| Sadie | Pet form of Sarah, “princess” | Hebrew, English |
| Amira | Princess, leader | Arabic |
| Emir | Prince, commander | Arabic, Turkish |
| Kalani | The heavens; also “royal” (Hawaiian <em>lani</em>) | Hawaiian |
| Queenie | Pet name meaning “queen” | English |
| Prince | Prince, royal son | English |
Famous rulers from around the world
Some of history’s most powerful queens and emperors weren’t European. These names carry that legacy; more in our ancient names and ancient Egyptian names.
| Name | Famous ruler | Tradition |
|---|---|---|
| Cleopatra | The last active pharaoh of Egypt | Greek-Egyptian |
| Nefertiti | Great Royal Wife of Akhenaten; “the beautiful one has come” | Egyptian |
| Cyrus | Cyrus the Great, founder of the Persian Empire | Persian |
| Darius | Darius the Great, king of Persia | Persian |
| Esther | Queen Esther of Persia (Book of Esther) | Hebrew, Persian |
| Makeda | The Queen of Sheba in Ethiopian tradition | Ethiopian |
| Ashoka | Emperor Ashoka of the Maurya dynasty | Indian |
| Akbar | Akbar the Great, Mughal emperor; “great” | Arabic, Indian |
| Liliʻuokalani | The last queen of the Hawaiian Kingdom | Hawaiian |
| Kamehameha | Kamehameha I, who united the Hawaiian Islands | Hawaiian |
| Tamar | Queen Tamar, “king of kings” of Georgia | Georgian |
| Theodora | Byzantine empress, wife of Justinian | Greek |
| Nzinga | Queen Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba | Angolan (Mbundu) |
| Jadwiga | Jadwiga, crowned “king” of Poland | Polish |
| Catherine | Catherine the Great of Russia | Greek |
Names with a regal, aristocratic feel
Not every royal-sounding name belongs to a monarch — some just feel palatial. Compare with our elegant girl names and preppy boy names.
| Name | Why it feels royal | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Beatrice | Princess Beatrice of York | She who brings happiness |
| Eugenie | Princess Eugenie of York | Well-born, noble |
| Zara | Zara Tindall, Princess Anne’s daughter | Possibly “princess” or “blooming flower” |
| Frederick | Frederick the Great of Prussia | Peaceful ruler |
| Augusta | Title of Roman empresses | Venerable, majestic |
| Maximilian | Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I | Greatest |
| Alexander | Alexander the Great | Defender of the people |
| Leopold | Kings of Belgium; Queen Victoria’s son | Bold people |
| Wilhelmina | Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands | Resolute protector |
| Anastasia | Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russia | Resurrection |
| Constantine | Constantine the Great, Roman emperor | Constant, steadfast |
| Octavia | Octavia, sister of Emperor Augustus | Eighth |
| Margrethe | Queen Margrethe II of Denmark | Pearl |
| Casimir | Kings of Poland | Proclaimer of peace |
How to choose a royal baby name
- Go classic or go current. Victoria and Henry have centuries of royal history; Estelle and Leonor feel modern and continental.
- Borrow the royal middle-name trick. Royals often use three or four names honoring relatives; a family name in the middle adds weight.
- Think about the nickname. Royal names shorten well — Elizabeth to Libby or Lilibet, Alexander to Xander, Frederick to Freddie.
- Watch the “royal bump.” Names chosen by high-profile royals (Charlotte, Louis, Archie) often jump in popularity — check popular baby names if you want to avoid a trend.
- Mind the grand ones. Rex, Prince and Queenie are fun, but consider how they’ll sound on an adult.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most popular royal baby names?
George, Charlotte, Louis, William, Henry, Elizabeth, Victoria, Alexander, Isabella and Arthur are among the royal names most used by parents today.
What are the names of Prince William’s children?
Prince George (born 2013), Princess Charlotte (born 2015) and Prince Louis (born 2018).
What name means princess?
Sarah is Hebrew for “princess,” and Sadie is its pet form. Amira means “princess” in Arabic, and Zara is sometimes interpreted the same way.
What name means king?
Rex (Latin), Rey (Spanish), Malik (Arabic), Raja (Sanskrit), Basil (Greek, “kingly”) and Leroy (French, “the king”) all mean king.
What is a royal name for a girl?
Classic royal girl names include Victoria, Elizabeth, Charlotte, Eleanor, Margaret, Anne, Beatrice and Alexandra; European royals add Leonor, Estelle, Ingrid and Amalia.