The wait is over! As with their son Prince George of Cambridge, the Duke and Duchess only made us wait two days to hear the name they have chosen for their daughter:
Charlotte Elizabeth Diana
Unlike last time, the royal couple did not wait until they introduced their new arrival to the Queen and Prince Philip before announcing the name to the rest of the world. But, as (presumably) the name has Her Majesty’s nod of approval, what are we to make of their choice?
Here is my royal analysis of their three choices:
Charlotte
Charlotte was second-in-running to Alice as the bookies favourite this time around and it seems they were right!
Charlotte is the feminine of Charles, a French form of the Germanic Karl meaning “man.”
Though Charles had long been in good use, Charlotte itself was unheard of in this country until the 17th century when it gained some ground. It shot to fame, however, in 1761 when King George III married Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Queen Charlotte was known for her kindness; she founded several orphanages and was a champion of women’s education.
Her eldest daughter, Charlotte, Princess Royal (b.1766), bore the name and also her granddaughter Princess Charlotte of Wales (b.1796), daughter of King George IV. Princess Charlotte was the nation’s darling and when she died, tragically, in childbirth at the age of 21, the country went into a period of intense mourning never seen before.
As Princess Charlotte of Wales was the only legitimate heir, this also caused a crisis of succession. The next heir to be born was the future Queen Victoria. Her parents intended her to have the names Charlotte, Augusta, Georgina but the Prince Regent (who had the power of veto) rejected those choices.
Queen Victoria’s first granddaughter was also Princess Charlotte of Prussia (b.1860). Victoria disapproved of the choice – she wanted the baby to be called “Victoria.”
For a closer family connection, Charlotte is also the middle name of Catherine’s sister Pippa, whose full name is Philippa Charlotte Middleton.
Charlotte ranked #41 in 1700 and then, after the royal wedding of 1761, shot up to #10 in 1800.
It was still a steady #19 in 1850 but fell to #64 in 1900 and was out of the top 100 by the 1920s.
Charlotte moved back into the top 50 in the 1970s and was in the top 10 from 1994-2005.
It currently ranks #21.
Elizabeth
Elizabeth is arguably our strongest royal female name. Borne by two reigning queens, Elizabeth I and Elizabeth II, as well as queen consorts and princesses.
Elizabeth is also Catherine’s middle name, so just like George and William both share Louis in their names, Catherine and her daughter both share Elizabeth.
Elizabeth is the English form of the Latin Elizabetha which itself comes from the Hebrew name Elisheba meaning “God is my oath.”
Elizabeth first became a royal name in Scotland in 1306 when Elizabeth de Burgh married Robert I (The Bruce). In England it was 1464 when Elizabeth Woodville became Queen of England upon her marriage to Edward IV. Their daughter, Elizabeth of York, also became queen herself as the wife of Henry VII.
This second Queen Elizabeth was mother of Henry VIII, and it was for her that Elizabeth I – arguably one of nations most successful and notable monarchs -- was named.
Already in good use since the 12th century, Queen Elizabeth I’s reign ensured that Elizabeth was the #1 name for a century.
After the succession of the Stuarts and later the Hanoverians, Elizabeth was little used by the royal family (George III had a sister and one middle daughter with the name), but was still extremely popular among their subjects for whom it was second only to Mary.
Elizabeth was revived by the royals for our present queen, who was named after her mother Queen Elizabeth (nee Bowes-Lyon).
Elizabeth ranked #1 in 1600, #2 in 1700, #3 in 1800 and #6 in 1900. Although its overall popularity has declined gradually and sporadically since that point, it has never been out of the top 50.
It currently ranks #39.
Diana
There has been much speculation as to whether William and Catherine would pay tribute to his late mother in their daughter’s name. It was unlikely that it would be used as a first name – a little too much to live up to – but the middle spot is perfect territory.
Diana is the Roman goddess of hunting, women, childbirth and the moon, equivalent to the Greek goddess Artemis. Her name most likely derives from the same route as Dio and Zeus “a god(dess).”
Diana has been used as a name in this country since the 15th century, but was never especially popular. It only really gained ground in the early 20th century, ranking #80 in 1934, #51 in 1944 and #79 in 1954. After that it fell out of the top 100. It currently ranks #358.
Middleton Trend?
It is interesting to note that Mrs Middleton is Carole Elizabeth, the Duchess is Catherine Elizabeth, and now her daughter is Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, showing a continuation of Catherine's family trend of "C. Elizabeth."
Honouring
Unlike with Prince George, the Duke and Duchess have included so many people to honour with this name.
Charlotte -- Charlotte is the feminine form of Charles, so a nod to Prince Charles and is also the middle name of Catherine's sister Pippa Middleton. Carole is also a name related to the "Charles" group.
Elizabeth -- Obviously Elizabeth is the first name of William's grandmother Queen Elizabeth II but is also the second name of Catherine herself and her mother Carole Middleton.
Diana -- Diana of course is in honour of Prince William's late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.
