Advertisement

The one person who predicted Archie's name

Harry and meghan hold Archie Harrison
The glowing parents introduced Archie Harrison to the word on Wednesday. Photos: AP

Prince Harry and Meghan took a lot of people by surprise when they announced they had named their baby boy Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

But while it wasn’t at the top of any bookies favourite lists, there was one person who actually correctly predicted the name.

Dr Jane Pilcher, an associate professor of sociology at Nottingham Trent University, in particular the sociology of names, said earlier this week that she would be surprised if Harry and Meghan “agree on a quintessentially British name”.

She had said the name would have to be “suitable for royalty” but also “accepted and correctly pronounced in the UK and US”, according to The Age.

“I think Alfie and Archie are strong contenders,” she said on Tuesday.

The Queen and Prince Philip, along with Meghan’s mum Doria Ragland were told of the child’s name on Wednesday, shortly after the couple stepped out for the first time with their son at Windsor Castle.

Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, during a photocall with their newborn son, in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle, Windsor, south England, Wednesday May 8, 2019. Baby Sussex was born Monday at 5:26 a.m. (0426 GMT; 12:26 a.m. EDT) at an as-yet-undisclosed location. An overjoyed Harry said he and Meghan are "thinking" about names. (Dominic Lipinski/Pool via AP)
They took everyone by surprise with the name. Photo: AP

What’s in the name

The name Archie is a boy's name of German origin meaning “truly brave”.

According to Baby Centre, Archie was the 15th most popular name for a baby boy born in the UK in 2018. It’s not as popular in the US; it ranks number 737 for popularity in the US in 2019 so far.

Despite what some might think, it’s actually not a modern name. Archie started out as a short form of Archibald but has been used as an independent name since the 19th century.

There aren’t many famous people called Archie, however Archibald Leach was the birth name of English-born Hollywood actor Cary Grant.

Archie Gemmill (born 1947) is a Scottish footballer; the lead character in hit Netflix show Riverdale is named Archie (based of the Archie comics) and comedian Amy Poehler’s son with Will Arnett is also called Archie.

Archie’s middle name Harrison is a noble name, which traditionally means 'Son of Harry or Henry’.

Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, during a photocall with their newborn son, in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle, Windsor, south England, Wednesday May 8, 2019. Baby Sussex was born Monday at 5:26 a.m. (0426 GMT; 12:26 a.m. EDT) at an as-yet-undisclosed location. An overjoyed Harry said he and Meghan are "thinking" about names. (Dominic Lipinski/Pool via AP)
Archie’s middle name Harrison traditionally means 'Son of Harry or Henry’. Photo: AP
Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, during a photocall with their newborn son, in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle, Windsor, south England, Wednesday May 8, 2019. Baby Sussex was born Monday at 5:26 a.m. (0426 GMT; 12:26 a.m. EDT) at an as-yet-undisclosed location. An overjoyed Harry said he and Meghan are "thinking" about names. (Dominic Lipinski/Pool via AP)
Baby Sussex was born Monday at 5:26am UK time. Photo: AP

Not a favourite with bookmakers

When the news broke that the newest member to the royal family was a baby boy, fans immediately began to offer ideas for what the new parents should call their son - who is seventh in line to the throne.

At the time betting agency William Hill selected a new favourite name - Spencer at 4/1 - the maiden name of Prince Harry's late mother Princess Diana.

Royal fan Terry Hutt, left, poses with Rupert Adams from the British bookmaker William Hill showing a list for the odds on names for the yet unnamed baby son of Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex outside Windsor Castle, in Windsor, England Wednesday, May 8, 2019. Meghan gave birth to the boy on Monday. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
A list for the odds on names before Harry and Meghan shared the news. Photo: AP

Other top picks for the royal baby boy are James and Alexander, both at 5/1, as well as Albert, Arthur or Philip.

According to The Telegraph, there have been 12 Alberts in the royal family, which made it a hot favourite for bookies.

Got a story tip? Send it to lifestyle.tips@verizonmedia.com

Want more lifestyle and celebrity news? Follow Yahoo Lifestyle on Facebook,Twitter and Instagram.

Or sign up to our daily newsletter here.