Royal Baby Names from the Grimaldi Family Tree

If you’re fascinated by royal baby names, then the Grimaldi family tree is worth a closer look.

It’s packed with elaborate, language-spanning names. In fact, the Grimaldi names might be the most intriguing in Europe.

The family originally hails from Genoa, but they’re most closely associated with the tiny, prosperous principality of Monaco.

Their roots trace to the twelfth century. The family intermarried with royals from all across the continent – and Hollywood, too. In 1956, Oscar-winning actress Grace Kelly wed Prince Rainier III and left her career behind her to serve as Princess consort.

The spotlight has remained on the family ever since. 

This list is far from exhaustive, and there’s no definite criteria used to determine which made the cut and which were left behind. But most of the current members of the extended Grimaldi family tree are represented here, with their names spanning all of 21st century European aristocracy.

A disclaimer: while the names are gorgeous and glamorous, this family has its share of scandal and tragedy. In most cases, such details are glossed over here, in order to focus on the names. But being a real-life royal is no fairy tale. 

GRIMALDI PRINCESSES

ALEXANDRA CHARLOTTE ULRIKE MARYAM VIRGINIA

The daughter of Princess Charlotte and her second husband, Ernst August, Prince of Hanover, was born in the 1990s, but has a name as extravagant as an earlier generation of royals.

ALEXIA

Princess Caroline, the firstborn daughter of Prince Rainier III and Grace Kelly, is the stepmother to Prince Christian of the House of Hanover. Christian married Peruvian lawyer Alessandra de Osma in 2018. The couple has three children, including youngest daughter Alexia. It seems like a nod to mom’s name, but also to the many uses of Alexandra and Alexandre in the Grimaldi family tree.

ANASTASIA

There’s an air of tragedy surrounding Anastasia. But the name has been reclaimed in recent decades, and the meaning – resurrection – is stunning.

ANNA HIPPOLYTE

Hippolyte was an Amazon queen in Greek myth. It looks like “hippo light,” but the correct pronunciation is closer to heh PAHL eh tee.

ANTOINETTE GHISLAINE

Two gorgeous French names for girls. Ghislaine, once associated with an early medieval saint, is unwearable now. 

ANTOINETTE LOUISE ALBERTE SUZANNE

It’s hard to imagine Alberte catching on in the US, but it feels all sorts of gorgeously French.

AURELIA

Golden Maria Aurelia was born in Genoa, Italy in 1620. She married the heir to the Monagesuqe throne, but he died young. Her son would become Louis I, succeeding his grandfather.

BIANCA CAROLINA MARTA

Princess Caroline’s son Pierre married Beatrice Borromeo. Her family traces its noble roots to the 14th century. The Borromeos became bankers in Milan, quickly amassing titles and wealth. In 1916, the head of the family was granted the title Prince of Angera by the King of Italy. Their youngest child is named for Princess Caroline, as well as Marta Marzotta, Beatrice’s grandmother. The name Bianca, or sometimes Blanche, is also found on the Grimaldi family tree at least as far back as the 1400s.

CAMILLE MARIE KELLY

The youngest daughter of Princess Stephanie is named Camille Marie Kelly. She bears a striking resemblace to her late grandmother, Grace Kelly, for whom she is named. Camille has been used for other members of the family in the past, as a unisex name.

CAROLINE LOUISE MARGUERITE

She was born Princess Caroline of Monaco, the eldest child of Rainier III and the former Grace Kelly, in 1957. Her second marriage, to Ernst August, Prince of Hanover, makes her Caroline of Hanover, too. 

CHARLENE

Born Charlene Wittstock, the current princess consort of Monaco married Prince Albert in 2011. A feminine form of Charles, the name Charlene reads Baby Boomer in the US but enjoyed popularity more recently in France. The princess grew up in South Africa, where she competed internationally as a swimmer. She met her future husband while competing in Monaco. 

CHARLOTTE MARIE POMELINE

Pomeline belongs to the uniquely Grimaldi royal family names.

CHRISTINE ALIX

It’s easy to mistake Alix as a modern borrowed-from-the-boys name, but it comes with history aplenty as a girls’ name. Strictly speaking, it’s a cousin to Alice. 

CLAUDINE

All of the Claud- names are out of favor in the US right now, but this one could be perfection – especially in the middle spot. A medieval Claudine inherited the throne from her father and married a distant Grimaldi cousin – who mostly usurped his wife’s role. 

CONSTANCE

Granddaughter to Princess Stephanie, and younger sister to Victoire.

ELEANORA DINA DANIELA ALEXANDRA

Princess Caroline of Monaco married Ernst August, the Hereditary Prince of Hanover, and became stepmother to his son, also named Ernst August. The younger Ernst is the father of four children, including Eleanora. Elisabeth, Welf, and Margarita’s names also appear here.

ELISABETH TATIANA MAXIMILIANA IACOBELLA

The eldest daughter of the younger Prince Ernst August and wife, Princess Ekaterina, was named for the late Queen Elizabeth II of England. The House of Hanover is related to the British royals. Elisabeth’s middles are for her godparents, including Tatiana Casiraghi, the daughter-in-law of Princess Caroline.

ELISABETTA CHARLOTTE

While most of the Grimaldi royal family names favor French forms, here’s a good example of Italian influence.

FLORESTINE

A nineteenth century rarity probably inspired by Florestan, another one of those fantastic Grimaldi royal family names.

GABRIELLA THERESE MARIE

Twin sister to Prince Jacques, the current heir to the Monegasque throne. Gabriella also holds the title Countess of Carladès.

GHISLAINE MARIE FRANCOISE

Françoise doesn’t seem terribly accessible in English, though several of the Francis names are enjoying a rise in popularity.

HONORADE

A rare French name found among the branch of the family in Antibes, Honorade is likely related to Honorata, meaning distinguished.

INDIA JULIA

Granddaughter to Princess Caroline of Monaco, via her son, Andrea Casiraghi. India’s middle name might honor her grandfather, Julio Mario Santo Domingo.

IPPOLITA

Hippolyte made it onto the family tree via the even more obscure Italian Ippolita.

ISABELLA

A name introduced to the family by the wife of a former Monagesquer ruler.

JAZMIN GRACE

The Grimaldi family tree gets a bit … complicated. Jazmin is the daughter of Prince Albert himself. He had an affair with her California mom and didn’t officially acknowledge Jazmin until she was a teenager. She’s not in line to the throne, so this is not a Princess Diaries kind of story. But her name isn’t so very different from the romantic, dramatic choices the family favors.

LOUISE FELICITE VICTOIRE

Felicity is an American girl, but Félicité sounds like a mademoiselle.

LOUISE HIPPLOYTE

Another lovely combination.

MARGARITA ELEONORE VERA

The youngest child of Prince Ernst August of Hanover and his wife, Princess Ekaterina. Princess Caroline of Monaco married Ernst August’s father, which is why the younger generation of Hanovers are listed here.

MARGUERITE CAMILLE

French + French = serious style. The name Camille repeats in the family today. Marguerite was born early in the 18th century and married into a Belgian noble family. She was also known as Margherita Camilla. 

MARIA DEVOTA

The patron saint of Monaco, tales of Devota are woven throughout the country’s folklore and cultural practices. The Sainte-Dévote Chapel marks the first turn on the Circuit de Monaco, the course used for the annual Grand Prix race. It’s possible that Devota, like Sophia and Philomena, started out as a description, rather than a given name. “Deo Devota” means devoted to God.

MARIA PAOLINA

Another example of Italian influence on the Grimaldi family tree.

PAULINE GRACE MAGUY

A modern member of the family, Pauline Ducruet is Princess Stephanie’s daughter. Her middle name honors her legendary grandmother, Grace Kelly. Maguy is a short form of Marguerite, the French equivalent of Margaret. It sounds similar to Maggie, but with a strong emphasis on the second syllable.

POMELLINA

The original form of Pomeline, as imported from Genoa by marriage.

SESCARINA

Possibly a medieval variant of Cesarina, worn by a 15th century family member. The name Césarine appears in a later generation.

SOFIA

Princess Caroline’s stepson Prince Christian is the father of three: Sofia, Nicolas, and Alexia. This classic name is spelled the Spanish way, possibly because mom Alessandra is from Peru.

STEPHANIE MARIE ELISABETH

At first glance, Princess Stéphanie’s name seems like an outlier – an on-trend choice that reflects her 1960s birth, rather than a royal one. But it’s worth noting that Stephanie’s paternal grandmother was the Mexican-born Susana Mariana Estefanía Francisca de Paula del Corazón de Jesús de la Torre y Mier. Suzanne had also appeared among Grimaldi royal family names afterwards; perhaps both reflect her influence.

TATIANA

Andrea Casiraghi is the eldest son of Princess Caroline and her late husband Stefano. He married Colombian heiress Tatiana Santo Domingo in 2013. Their three children are also included on this list. 

TEDISE

This names takes us back to the 1300s. The bride of a younger brother, Tedise is barely a blip in historical records. Is this name a misprint, a fleeting rarity, a once-common name now forgotten? Whichever answer is correct, Tedise makes for an intriguing rarity.

VICTOIRE MAGUY LAM HUONG

Princess Stephanie is the youngest child of Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly. Her son, Louis Ducruet, married Marie Hoa Chevallier, a Frenchwoman of Vietnamese descent, in 2019. This is at least the second use of Maguy, a diminutive for Marguerite, in the family tree.

GRIMALDI PRINCES

ALBERT ALEXANDRE LOUIS PIERRE

The name of the current reigning prince, known as Albert II.

ALEXANDRE

Alexandre Andrea Stefano Casiraghi is the eldest son of Andrea Casiraghi, Princess Caroline’s firstborn. He’s known as Sasha. 

A second Alexandre is Prince Albert’s son. Born out of wedlock, his mother is Nicole Coste, from Togo. 

ANDREA ALBERT PIERRE

Princess Caroline’s son, and a reminder that elsewhere in the world, Andrea is a boys’ name. Andrea is fourth in line to the Monegasque throne, behind his nephew, niece, and mother.

ANTONIO

Several Monégasque rulers clearly used their French and Italian names interchangeably. Antonio I, sovereign prince in the early 1700s, named his (illegitimate) son Antoine, and built a fort called Antoine, too. (It’s since been repurposed as an open air theater.)

AUGUSTINE

This serious, saintly name gets a boost in the 21st century thanks to potential nickname Gus.

BALTHAZAR

Charlotte Casiraghi, daughter of Princess Caroline, is the mother of two sons. She shares younger son, Balthazar, with husband Dimitri Rassam, a Lebanese-French film producer.

CATALAN

A masculine form of Catherine? A reference to Spain? Or something else? The fifteenth century name seems surprisingly wearable.

CHARLES HONORE

Honoré belongs with the oft-used Grimaldi royal family names. 

CHRISTIAN

Princess Caroline married into the House of Hanover, becoming stepmother to Prince Christian. Those Hanovers love a long, extended name. Christian is officially Christian Heinrich Clemens Paul Frank Peter Welf Wilhelm-Ernst Friedrich Franz.

ERNST AUGUST

Princess Caroline’s marriage to Prince Ernst August of the House of Hanover made her stepmother to Prince Christian and Prince Ernst August. Yup, father and son share the same name. The younger Ernst’s full name is Ernst August Andreas Philipp Constantin Maximilian Rolf Stephan Ludwig Rudolph. He’s married to the former Ekaterina Malysheva. At the time of the couple’s wedding, there was a high-profile dispute over … wait for it … family castles.

FLORESTAN

Possibly related to the Roman name Florus – flower.

FRANCESCO CARLO ALBERT

The younger son of Pierre Casiraghi and Beatrice Borromeo, some family names are clearly incorporated for his middles. As for his first name, Francesco Grimaldi captured the Rock of Monaco in 1297. Today’s rulers are descended from Francesco’s extended family. 

GASPARD, GASPARE

The -d ending is French; the -e, Italian. Either way this makes for an exotic spin on Jasper found on the Grimaldi family tree across the ages.

GIROLAMO

The romantic, dramatic Italian equivalent of Jerome.

JACQUES HONORE RAINIER

The only son of Prince Albert II and his wife Charlene, and the next in line for the throne. He’s also known as the Marquis of Baux. Back in the 1700s, another Jacques I was prince of Monaco through marriage to his wife, Louise Hippolyte, the heir to the throne. 

HERCULE, ERCOLE

It might be tough to live up to the name of legendary hero Hercules. And it is tough to hear the French Hercule and not add “Poirot” automatically. The Italian Ercole is more obscure. But these are long-established Grimaldi names. Port Hercule is the only deep-water port in Monaco. The demigod Hercules has been an important part of local legend and belief since ancient days. It’s said Hercules himself built the port, as well as the road that connects the water to the surrounding area.

HONORE

Like Hippolyte, Honoré has been worn by more than one royal, even if it is rare outside of Monaco.

LANCELOT

At least one member of the family answered to this bold, dramatic name in the fourteenth century.

LANFRANCO

A name all but lost to history, it also appears over the centuries as Lanfranc.

LOUIS

Louis and Louise repeat frequently over the years. At the moment, Princess Stephanie’s son, Louis Robert Paul Ducruet, is the highest profile member of the family.

LUCIEN

One of the more wearable masculine monikers on this list, Lucien fits in with all of the Luke names we love right now.

MAXIMILIAN RAINIER

Andrea and Tatiana Casiraghi’s youngest is son Max, with a middle name inspired by his late great-grandfather.

PIERRE MARIE XAVIER RAPHAEL ANTOINE MELCHIOR

This extraordinary name belonged to the father of Prince Rainier III and father-in-law of Grace Kelly. Born in France, he married Princess Charlotte, the sovereign of Monaco. Melchior, a name traditionally given to one of the Three Wise Men in the Nativity stories, was a family name inherited from Pierre’s father, Count Maxence de Polignac.

RAINIER

A common name for Monegasque men, and once fairly common throughout Medieval Europe.

RAINIER LOUIS HENRI MAXENCE BERTRAND

How’s this for an imposing formal name combination? The late Rainier III, husband of Princess Grace, answered to this regal moniker. An obscure saint’s name, Maxence might serve as a possible alternative to Maxwell.

RAPHAEL

Charlotte Casiraghi shares son Raphaël with former partner Gad Elmaleh. 

RUFFO

Another rarity, possibly related to Rufus.

STEFANO ERCOLE CARLO

Pierre Casiraghi and Beatrice Borromeo’s firstborn was named for Pierre’s dad. And there’s Ercole, that so traditional Grimaldi name, in the middle spot.

TANCREDE FLORESTAN ROGER LOUIS

Tancrede is a Germanic name found in Spain as Tancredo, Italy as Tancredi, England as Tancred, and France as Tancrède.

TANNEGUY

Another obscurity from the Middle Ages, likely related to Tanguy, borrowed from a 6th century saint.

WELF AUGUST YOHANNES FERDINAND KARL WILHELM ANTHONY JULIO MARIO

One more from the House of Hanover, a grandchild for Princess Caroline via her marriage to Prince Ernst August. The only son of the younger Prince Ernst August and his wife, Princess Ekaterina, his name is deeply traditional. A medieval German holdover, Welf refers to a deeply-rooted family, also knowns as the Guelphs or Guelfs. They’re part of European aristocratic and royalty from the 11th century onward. 

*Every name on this list belongs to a member of the extended Grimaldi family. However, not all of them used the title prince or princess.

 What do you think of the Grimaldi royal family names?

First published on March 16, 2012, this post was revised and updated on October 11, 2020; February 4, 2023; and April 5, 2026.