From Queen Elizabeth to Prince Louis

The Unique Meaning Behind Every Single Royal Family Member's Name
The Unique Meaning Behind Every Single Royal Family Member's Name
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Queen Elizabeth II

Full Name: Elizabeth Alexandra Mary

Title: Queen Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God Queen of this Realm and of Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith

Birthday: April 21, 1926

Parents: King George VI and the Queen Mother (Elizabeth)

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Meaning of the Name

Elizabeth: When King George VI and his wife welcomed their first daughter, they decided to give her the name of her mother: Elizabeth. As the eldest child, Princess Elizabeth became the Queen after her father’s passing. When she ascended the throne, her mother — who was also Queen Elizabeth — was given the new title of Queen Mother to avoid any confusion.

Alexandra: Queen Elizabeth’s grandfather, Edward VII married Princess Alexandra of Denmark in 1861, and the two had six children. Her second name was likely given to her as a tribute to her grandmother who died suddenly from a heart attack just one year before Elizabeth was born.

Mary: The Queen’s third name was a nod to her father’s mother, Mary of Teck.

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Prince Charles

Full Name: Charles Philip Arthur George

Title: His Royal Highness Charles, Prince of Wales

Birthday: November 14, 1948

Parents: Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip

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Meaning of the Name

Charles: The name Charles ironically means “free man,” something many might say the Prince of Wales isn’t since he’s second in line to the throne, and therefore has to follow many strict rules.

Philip: Charles’ second middle name was given to him as a nod to his father, Prince Philip. Since Charles received the name, it has been continually given to royal males in line for the throne.

Arthur: The name of the mediaeval mythical King Arthur was also a name of King George VI — Prince Charles’ grandfather. Now it’s part of Charles’ son’s and grandson’s names too.

George: The moniker is an ode to the Queen’s father, King George VI, who passed away when Charles was just four, leaving the throne to his daughter.

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Prince William

Full Name: William Arthur Philip Louis

Title: His Royal Highness Prince William, Duke of Cambridge

Birthday: June 21, 1982

Parents: Prince Charles and Princess Diana

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Meaning of the Name

William: Princess Diana threw a curveball when she decided on the name William, a moniker that’s been used less frequently by royals. She was reportedly told that whatever she picked had to sound good with “King” in front of it since Wills is third in the line of succession. However, he can choose to go by a different name when he becomes the monarch if he wants.

Arthur: This was a highly speculated name for William’s third son, Prince Louis, and it was what Prince Charles wanted his first son to be named. Though Princess Diana said “no” to the first name, she compromised and made Arthur his second name instead.

Philip: When William was born, it was the second time the name Philip was given to a royal family member to honour the Queen’s husband, Prince Philip.

Louis: The name meaning “renowned warrior,” went on to become Prince William’s third son’s name. It’s thought that the name was passed from Prince Philip’s favourite uncle, Lord Louis Mountbatten.

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Prince George

Full name: George Alexander Louis

Title: His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge

Birthday: July 22, 2013

Parents: Prince William and Kate Middleton

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Meaning of the Name

George: The future King’s name actually comes from that of a previous one: Queen Elizabeth’s father, King George VI.

Alexander: George’s second name pays homage to the Queen, whose middle name is Alexandra. Kate reportedly loved the name Alexandra at the time, so if George was a girl, it’s likely we’d know a Princess Alexandra.

Louis: Prince William passed along his fourth name to Prince George. Again, the moniker is likely a tribute to George’s great grandfather’s favorite uncle.

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Princess Charlotte

Full Name: Charlotte Elizabeth Diana

Title: Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Cambridge

Birthday: May 2, 2015

Parents: Prince William and Kate Middleton

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Meaning of the Name

Charlotte: The name is the female version of Charles, who is Prince William’s father, and, coincidentally, the middle name of Kate Middleton’s sister, Pippa Middleton.

Elizabeth: Charlotte’s second moniker is a nod to not only the Queen, but also the Queen Mother.

Diana: Prince William wanted some way to pay tribute to his late mother Princess Diana, who tragically passed away in a car crash in Paris — luckily, he had a daughter to pass the name on to.

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Prince Louis

Full Name: Louis Arthur Charles

Title: His Royal Highness Prince Louis of Cambridge

Birthday: April 23, 2018

Parents: Prince William and Kate Middleton

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Meaning of the Name

Louis: The name holds a special meaning to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s family — all three males share it. It is likely that the moniker comes from Prince Philip’s favourite uncle, Lord Louis of Mountbatten.

Arthur: The new royal baby shares his second name with both his father, Prince William and his grandfather, Prince Charles. The name could be a nod to the mythical King Arthur who was a well-known monarch in mediaeval times.

Charles: Prince Louis actually shares two names with his grandfather — Arthur and Charles.

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Prince Harry

Full Name: Henry Charles Albert David

Title: His Royal High Prince Henry of Wales

Birthday: September 15, 1984

Parents: Prince Charles and Princess Diana

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Meaning of the Name

Henry: He’s more commonly known as Prince Harry now, but that’s just a nickname. Princess Diana and Prince Charles gave him the name Henry when he was born. Henry has German origins and means “estate ruler.” (Harry means the same thing).

Charles: The name Charles was passed down to Prince Harry from his father, and he now shares the moniker with his nephew, Prince Louis.

Albert: This was what Prince Charles had envisioned calling his second son, but it was not what Princess Diana wanted, according to an interview published in the 1992 book, Diana: Her Story. Albert was the name given to Queen Elizabeth’s father, King George VI, at birth. (He chose George when he became monarch.)

David: The name David means “beloved,” which Prince Harry and his soon-to-be-wife, Meghan Markle, have very much become in recent years. David was the seventh name given to former King Edward VIII — the Queen’s uncle (better known as the Duke of Windsor).

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Prince Andrew

Full Name: Andrew Albert Christian Edward

Title: His Royal Highness Prince Andrew, Duke of York

Birthday: February 19, 1960

Parents: Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip

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Meaning of the Name

Andrew: As we saw played out in Netflix’s The Crown, the Queen still had a decent relationship with her uncle, Edward VIII, though he gave up the throne, ultimately destining her to become the monarch. Despite his choices, she basically rearranged his name to create Prince Andrew’s. Her uncle’s full name was Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David. While we like that idea, it’s more likely that they named their second son after Prince Philip’s father who was Prince of Denmark and Greece.

Albert: Queen Victoria’s husband was named Albert, as was Queen Elizabeth’s father (reminder: he later went by George (his fourth name) when he became King).

Christian: Christian was the third name given to Andrew’s great uncle King Edward VIII.

Edward: Again, this was the name of King George VI’s brother, and it also ended up being the name of Andrew’s younger brother.

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Princess Beatrice

Full Name: Beatrice Elizabeth Mary

Title: Princess Beatrice of York

Birthday: August 8, 1988

Parents: Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson

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Meaning of the Name

Beatrice: Prince Andrew and his now ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, named their first daughter Beatrice, which means “she who brings happiness.”

Elizabeth: The Queen’s second granddaughter was also given the famous name.

Mary: The princess actually shares two names with her grandmother — Elizabeth and Mary, both of which hold special meaning to King George VI. Not only was Mary of Teck, his mother, but he also had a sister named Mary.

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Princess Eugenie

Full Name: Eugenie Victoria Helena

Title: Princess Eugenie of York

Birthday: March 23, 1990

Parents: Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson

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Meaning of the Name

Eugenie: Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson’s second daughter was born as Eugenie, a name that had been used in the royal family before, but not since Queen Victoria’s granddaughter, Princess Victoria Eugenie.

Victoria: It seems that Andrew and Sarah merely swapped the order of the names of the late Princess Victoria Eugenie to get their second daughter’s name. The name is still popular today, as we know many famous women with it, including Victoria Beckham.

Helena: The moniker is of Greek origin, meaning “bright, shining light.” It’s still very much popular in today’s culture thanks to Helena Bonham Carter and Helena Christensen.

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Prince Edward

Full Name: Edward Anthony Richard Louis

Title: His Royal Highness Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex

Birthday: March 10, 1964

Parents: Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip

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Meaning of the Name

Edward: Queen Elizabeth’s last child shares a name with his older brother Prince Andrew and her uncle, King Edward VIII who abdicated the throne to marry a divorced woman.

Anthony: According to Nameberry.com, the name Anthony means “priceless one.”

Richard: Despite his very low chances of ever being the reigning monarch, Prince Edward’s third name, Richard, means “dominant ruler.”

Louis: Prince Edward also shares his fourth name with the new royal baby, as do Prince William and Prince George.

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James, Viscount Severn

Full Name: James Alexander Philip Theo Mountbatten-Windsor

Title: James, Viscount Severn

Birthday: December 17, 2007

Parents: Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex

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Meaning of the Name

James: When the Queen’s youngest grandchild was born in 2007, he was given the name James which is the English version of Jacob, meaning “supplanter.”

Alexander: James shares his second middle name with his cousin, Prince George. Alexandra is the Queen’s second middle name, given to her likely for her great grandmother Princess Alexandra, who passed suddenly.

Philip: Despite his lower peerage title Viscount, James is still very much a royal and entitled to his grandfather’s name.

Theo: According to the Nameberry.com, the name Theo means “divine gift,” and it’s currently rising in popularity in Europe.

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Lady Louise Windsor

Full Name: Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary Mountbatten-Windsor

Title: Lady Louise Windsor

Birthday: November 8, 2003

Parents: Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex

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Meaning of the Name

Louise: Lady Louise shares a very similar name to her new cousin, Prince Louis, both meaning “renowned warrior.” Queen Elizabeth’s father had a sister named Louise, Princess Royal.

Alice: Prince Edward’s daughter actually shares three names with her Aunt Anne — Louise, Alice, and Elizabeth. The name Alice means something to both Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth’s family. Princess Alice of Battenberg was Philip’s mother and it was also the name of one of Queen Victoria’s daughters who fought for women’s issues.

Elizabeth: Yet, another granddaughter of the Queen was gifted with the name Elizabeth at birth.

Mary: Lady Louise shares her fourth name with the Queen and her cousin, Princess Beatrice — an ode to the Queen’s grandmother.

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Princess Anne

Full Name: Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise

Title: Anne, Princess Royal

Birthday: August 15, 1950

Parents: Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip

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Meaning of the Name

Anne: The name Anne is Hebrew, meaning “grace.”

Elizabeth: The Queen passed her own (and her mother’s) name on to her first — and only — daughter, but as her second name.

Alice: The moniker is one that comes from both Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth’s family. Alice was the name of Philip’s mother, and the name of Queen Victoria’s daughter who lent herself to women’s causes and nursing.

Louise: King George V — the Queen’s grandfather — had a sister named Louise, who was similarly given the title Princess Royal, which is usually the highest honour a female royal family member can be granted.

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Peter Phillips

Full Name: Peter Mark Andrew Phillips

Title: He carries no royal title.

Birthday: November 15, 1977

Parents: Princess Anne and Mark Phillips

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Meaning of the Name

Peter: Peter’s first name doesn’t carry a meaning that relates to a royal title. Peter means “rock” in Greek, and it is also his father Mark Phillips’ third name.

Mark: The Queen’s oldest grandson actually shares two names with his father — Mark and Peter.

Andrew: The name Andrew is likely a nod to Prince Philip’s father, Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark, or Anne’s brother who is also a Prince Andrew.

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Zara Tindall née Philips

Full Name: Zara Anne Elizabeth Phillips Tindall

Title: She carries no royal title.

Birthday: May 15, 1981

Parents: Princess Anne and Mark Phillips

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Meaning of the Name

Zara: The children of the daughters of a reigning monarch are not granted royal titles, so the Princess Royal sneakily gave her daughter one by naming her Zara, which means “princess” in Hebrew. Zara is likely the most unique name in the family, as it was not passed to her from anyone.

Anne: The Princes Royal did however pass down her own name to her only daughter.

Elizabeth: Zara is the first granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth, and was therefore given the monarch’s name as her third.

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