Meghan Markle and Prince Harry‘s son is only 2 months old, but his unique name is already inspiring lots of new parents.
The name Archie has shot to the top of popularity charts, taking the top spot for baby boy names in 2019 so far, according to Nameberry.
Archie, which means “truly brave,” was on the rise even before its royal connection. The name dropped from the Top 1,000 list in the U.S. back in the late 1980s, but it returned to the list for the first time in 2018 as one of the fastest-rising names in popularity. However, Archie has been a Top 100 name in England since 2000.
And Meghan and Harry’s son isn’t the only one putting the name back in the spotlight. Amy Poehler and Will Arnett named their son Archie back in 2008, though they put Archibald on the birth certificate.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s name pick for their son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, came as a huge surprise for British oddsmakers. Their top picks for potential names included more traditional monikers like Arthur, James, Philip and Albert. In fact, bookies revealed just 60 bets were placed on Archie at 100/1, amounting to exactly $130.
Archibald Campbell, 9th Earl of Argyll of Scotland was also an ancestor of Princess Diana’s. Using the nickname as a first name gives it a more casual, American vibe — while the baby’s middle name, Harrison, originated in the Middle Ages as a patronymic meaning “son of Henry” or “son of Harry.”
Gayle King, who was one of the guests at Meghan’s star-studded baby shower in February, shared her opinion on the name at the CBS Upfront presentation in New York.
“I love the name Archie,” she said. “It’s so interesting that everybody’s weighing in on the name Archie. It’s nobody’s business. I’m sure they don’t care what we think about the name – they both like it.”
The CBS This Morning host continued, “I thought his middle name Harrison, means son of Harry. Arch means connection or something I read. They picked a great name. They picked what works for them. But I loved it.”
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While Isla has taken the top spot for girls’ names so far this year, there’s a royal connection to the fifth spot: it’s Charlotte, just like Kate Middleton and Prince William‘s 4-year-old daughter.
Aside from Princess Charlotte, the name has a host of celebrity fans. Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr. as well as Chelsea Clinton, Harry Connick Jr., Dylan McDermott, Sigourney Weaver and Colin Hanks all have daughters with the moniker.
While George didn’t make the cut in 2019, Louis holds the 32nd spot.
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