LONDON — When it comes to Prince William and his wife Kate’s new baby boy, choosing just one name won’t do. You need about three or four.
Just ask the father, William Arthur Philip Louis. Or the grandfather, Charles Philip Arthur George. Or the great-grandmother, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary.
“I think because the child is going to be the third in line to the throne, they have to maintain all this tradition,” said Pauline Maclaran, a professor of marketing and consumer research at Royal Holloway and the co-author of the upcoming book, Royal Fever: The British Monarchy in Consumer Culture.
“They’ll go for three or four names and … be able to make the right nod to the right people,” she said.
And it can’t just be any old moniker, either. It has to have some gravitas: Noble names are steeped in history, which explains why, as royal baby fervour mounted in recent days, thousands of bets rolled in to British bookmakers for James and Alexandra.
Albert Mehrabian, a professor emeritus of psychology at UCLA and an expert on names, firmly voted for James — which far outdistanced George in the popularity stakes.
“Names make impressions, good and bad,” he said. “Among all the names I’ve studied, James rated the highest.”
John Stillwell / APThe Queen's Press Secretary Ailsa Anderson, with Badar Azim, a footman, places an official document to announce the birth of a baby boy Monday.
The name can also take on cultural significance. Arthur, the middle names of both Prince Charles and Prince William, evokes the legendary King Arthur and tales of chivalry — a favourite theme ingrained in British literature.
Edward VIII, who abdicated in 1936, was christened Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David — the last four were patron saints of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales respectively.
The public may have to wait, though. It is not uncommon for the palace to take its time to choose just the right name.
AFP PHOTO / ANDREW COWIEANDREW COWIE/AFP/Getty ImagesA Town Crier reads an announcement about the birth of a baby boy at 4.24pm to Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, outside the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital in London, on July 22, 2013. Prince William's wife Kate gave birth to a baby boy today, providing Britain's royal family with a future king in an event that had been anticipated around the world, Kensington palace said.
But is it possible that William and the former Kate Middleton might break with tradition and call their child something trendy and unexpected? The grandchildren of Princess Anne, the queen’s only daughter, are called Savannah and Isla.
But those closer to the throne normally don’t have such freedom.
“They’ll try and choose something that reflects tradition acceptable to their peer group,” Maclaran said.
That probably excludes John Paul George Ringo.
Related
It’s a prince!: Kate Middleton gives birth to 8-pound 6-ounce baby boy
Everything you need to know about the future heir
Live updates on Kate Middleton's new child and the scene in London
Kate Middleton’s mother Carole will be key to raising the royal baby