Sarah is expecting her fourth child -- a boy! -- to join Charles "Charlie", Elizabeth "Libby" and Eleanor "Nora".
Sarah writes: "I’m an American and I am reaching out to a British name blogger for a very particular reason: we have given our first three children names that are traditional and quite royal. Now we’re expecting the fourth and we need a traditional name that matches in style with the siblings but that doesn’t sound like we’re monarchy mad!
We have twins named Charles and Elizabeth. Charles was an absolute; he’s named for my late father. We chose Elizabeth for his twin because it’s also a name used frequently throughout my family, and because we love that it has so many nickname options. I also like the fact that there are so many positive “role models” for these names, people throughout history named Charles and Elizabeth who did notable things.
It was only after the twins were born that we realized that, of course, Elizabeth is the queen and Charles is set to be the next king. The twins are called Charlie and Libby in daily life, so mostly the "royal theme" goes unnoticed, and of course the older they get the more separate they will become, not always together like now.
Next we had a daughter and named her Eleanor. It is in fact a royal name, but few in the US would recognize that, so we feel Eleanor helps “diffuse” our sibset. The big role model for her is Eleanor Roosevelt. We call her Nora.
Now we’re expecting a boy, and this will be our last child. Our current shortlist is only two:
Henry — it’s royal, but no one of the name will likely be king in our children’s lifetime, and the current prince is always called Harry, which we wouldn’t use. Since all of our other children go by nicknames, and since we don’t like any of the usual Henry nicknames, we’ve considered giving him the initials HEW and calling him Hugh. Crazy? (Our last name begins with a W).
William — a William is in line to be king in our children’s lifetime. William is also a very popular name (#3 in the US), but that might almost keep it from seeming so obviously royal? The only nickname we like is Will, which, with our last name, would sound awkward.
We considered George, but it’s not terribly common and so feels more connected to the little prince. And then I read something while looking at name ideas that said that Prince Charles may rule as King George. Nothing would delight me more, frankly, but all the more reason to avoid George in our sibset!
We’re steering away from E names since our daughters both have them. I do quite like Edward and Edmund, though.
I love the names Theodore and Oliver, but they are unusable for us. Theodore sounds too similar to Eleanor, and they’re both Roosevelts. The only nickname for Oliver is Ollie, and our dog’s name is Molly, too confusing. I came up with the idea of maybe calling an Oliver by the nickname Otto, but it seems too much of a stretch.
Alexander is also unusable; as is Matthew. My husband has said no to Frederick; I like it and think Freddie is cute, but dislike Fred.
Many traditional names do nothing for me: James, Thomas, Nicholas, Robert, David, Steven/Stephen, Michael, Patrick. Most of those names also sound dated to me, as do Benjamin, Jacob and Samuel.
I like Hugo, Otto and Ezra, but I feel they’d only suit our sibset as nicknames."
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I think there are two ways you can work with your unintentional royal sibset: embrace it, or re-visualise it.
1) You could choose to go for another thoroughly British "royal" name to seamlessly fit your set. The advantages to this is that all the names will feel cohesive, but they won't necessarily make you seem "royalty-mad." Most of the traditional royal names are such classics (mostly by virtue of the fact that they were used by royalty) that namesakes are numerous. Charles and Elizabeth can feel just as much a Victorian Literary Powerhouse set (think Charles Dickens and Elizabeth Gaskell -- we can also add Eleanor Porter) then as names of monarchs. Then there are the likes of Charles Darwin, Elizabeth Fry, Eleanor Roosevelt. William and Henry might bring to mind Shakespeare and Fielding/James more than royalty.
2) If another royal name doesn't feel like the right one, let's look at what your set also has in common. Beyond a literary link I've already mentioned, Charles, Elizabeth and Eleanor all have a Georgian-era vibe [you could think of this as Colonial/Revolutionary-era vibe]. Another option is to choose a name which matches this period for style.
Here are some options which cover both of these options:
British Royalty:
Arthur – A legendary king, and the name of a few royal princes (one -- the elder brother of king Henry VIII -- was our would-be King Arthur). Arthur has an enduring style with a quirky vibe.
Leopold – A British prince as well as the name of Belgian kings. Leopold is a grand name which leads nicely to preppy Leo.
Lionel – An Arthurian knight and medieval prince (whose name was used to personify kingship). Leo and Lenny work as nicknames.
Augustus – A princely name which was also a staple of the 18th century. Augustus is a grand Roman name, which can be shortened to August, Augie and Gus.
Owen – A name that was borne by Welsh princes for centuries. Owen isn't easily shortened, but a 'To' middle name (Owen Thomas, Owen Tobias) could lend itself to Otto.
Other Monarchs:
Magnus – A stalwart name of Scandinavian royalty, Magnus is strong and stylish name (it literally means "great, mighty"). Magnus could have Max as a nickname, or the adorably homespun Gus.
Oscar – Another Scandinavian royal name with an ancient Celtic heritage, and dapper British vibe. (Plus a literary one thanks to Oscar Wilde).
Otto – A name of European kings since the Holy Roman Emperor Otto the Great (912-973) so it fits your set in many ways. Possible longer forms could be Timothy, Elliot, Otis or an O first name (Oliver could work here) combined with Thomas, Tobias, Tobin, Toby etc.
Maximilian – A palatial name with Roman grandeur and used amongst European royalty for centuries. Max makes a friendly and easy-going shortform.
Georgian/Colonial names:
Nathaniel – A gentle and classical Biblical name which still feels cool. Nathaniel was used in sibling sets alongside Charles, Elizabeth and Eleanor in the 18th century, and also has literary heritage thanks to Nathaniel Hawthorne.
Gabriel – Throughout the 17th and 18th century, Gabriel was a top 50 staple with a gentlemanly and down-to-earth style.
Miles/Myles – In the top 50 from the late 16th century to the 18th century, and still in the top 100 by the mid-19th century, Miles is an easy-going and almost unexpected medieval gem. Milo would work as a nickname.
Leonard – Another way to get to Leo or Lenny is medieval Leonard (meaning "bold as a lion") which in good use from the 17th century.
Lawrence/Laurence – A Roman descendent with namesakes ranging from the elegant Laurence Olivier, the bold Lawrence of Arabia, and sweet Theodore "Laurie" Laurence of Little Women. Nicknames could be Lawrie or Lance or Lars or Larry...
Jonas – A debonnaire 17th and 18th century choice which was still in the top 100 by the mid-19th century. Jonas feels historic yet modern at the same time, giving it the same ageless appeal of Charles, Elizabeth and Eleanor.
Dominic – Another name which has an ageless, timeless quality. Plenty of history, but also modern appeal.
Josiah – Bringing to mind the like of Josiah Wedgwood and Josiah Bartlett, Josiah was a great 18th century staple which is now enjoying a Renaissance.
Jeremiah – Also enjoying a resurgence is equally Biblical 18th century favourite Jeremiah. Jem is my favourite nickname.
I hope this has been of use. Best wishes for finding the perfect name.
