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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Lifestyle
Chelsea Ritschel

Royal baby: The most popular names in the House of Windsor

Photograph: Getty Images

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have announced they are expecting their second child.

Following the announcement that Meghan Markle is due to give birth again, though no date has been given, speculation has grown regarding the royal baby's gender, name, and birthplace.

Current predictions suggest the child will be named Oliver or Diana, which would be in tribute to Prince Harry's late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.

While the couple are no longer working members of the royal family, it is tradition that the royal family shroud possible names for their child in secrecy.

Here's everything you need to know about the most popular royal family names:

What are the favourite names for male royal babies?

Albert is the most popular name for male members of the family.

The name was bestowed on Queen Elizabeth II's great-great grandfather, Prince Albert.

Since Queen Victoria's birth in 1819, there have been a total of 12 royal babies named Albert in the family.

George, Charles, and Edward take places two, three and four on the list with 10, eight, and seven royals given the name, respectively.

What are the favourite names for female royal babies?

If the new baby is a girl, there is a chance it will be named Victoria, a moniker that has been bestowed upon nine royal babies over the last 200 years, and the name of Prince Harry's great-great-great grandmother Queen Victoria.

Other popular names include Mary, of which there have been seven babies named, and Louise, and Alexandra, which are tied with six royals each given the name.

The name Mary has historical significance as it was the name of the Queen's grandmother, Queen Mary.

The first-time parents may also choose Elizabeth, after the baby's grandmother.

In addition to the name of four other royals including the current reigning monarch, Elizabeth is also Princess Charlotte's middle name.

There is also the possibility the royal couple will opt for a name with no royal history, as predictions surrounding the newest royal's name have included the names Grace, Sofia, and Spencer.

The list of popular names in British royalty over the last two centuries was compiled by Expedia, according to the BBC.

The full list is below:

The most common royal male names

Albert (12)

George (10)

Charles (8)

Edward (7)

Christian (5)

Frederick (5)

Louis (5)

Arthur (5)

William (4)

Henry (4)

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The most common royal female names:

Victoria (9)

Mary (7)

Louise (6)

Alexandra (6)

Elizabeth (5)

Alice (4)

Margaret (3)

Charlotte (3)

Augusta (2)

Helena (2)

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