PGCAll of the speculation was correct!  The new Prince of Cambridge, heir to the throne behind his grandfather and father, is named George Alexander Louis.

It’s a conservative name, a safe and likeable choice.  But it isn’t an entirely traditional one.  While there have been plenty of kings who reigned as George, neither Alexander nor Louis have been in heavy use by the British royal family.

It’s also a short name.  William and his brother both have four names each, as do Prince Charles and his siblings. though the current queen is simply Elizabeth Alexandra Mary – but then, as the daughter of a younger son, she was fairly far down the line of succession when she was born in 1926.

Here’s a quick breakdown on the history of the names:

  • The most recent king to wear the same name was George VI, dad to Queen Elizabeth II.
  • Alexander has history as a royal name in Scotland.  It’s also related to Queen Victoria’s given name, Alexandrina.
  • Louis is one of dad’s middle names – William Arthur Philip Louis.  The name Louis has never been much used by English kings, but Lord Mountbatten was uncle to Prince Philip, the current prince consort.  He was said to be a huge influence on the current Prince Charles.

We all knew the prince wasn’t going to be Spencer or Jayden.  But I do think there’s a certain style and even modern sensibility to the name.  Seven syllables wouldn’t be out of place on a regular, non-royal child.

So what do you think of the future monarch’s name?  Will it be influential?  Which names – the first, one of the two middles, or all three?  How about feminine forms of the names – will Georgia and Louise see a rise?

About Abby Sandel

Whether you're naming a baby, or just all about names, you've come to the right place! Appellation Mountain is a haven for lovers of obscure gems and enduring classics alike.

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What do you think?

20 Comments

  1. I’m not a gambling woman, but now I wish I had placed bets on the little prince’s name. I came so close! My official guess was George Arthur Louis, although I didn’t know the exact order they would choose. 2 for 3!

    It’s a very nice, strong, classic name. I do like Arthur better than Alexander though. All of my (very) American friends say how much they dislike George too! Is it an American thing? I don’t mind it, and maybe that’s because I expected the prince to be named George. If anyone did a bit of serious reading about the monarchy or about any name speculation (like any good name lover would do!), they wouldn’t have been the least bit surprised by the name choices!