The British royal family has always influenced baby naming beyond Britain's borders. George Washington, Henry Ford, and James Madison wore royal names. In 2024, the pattern continues: five of the top 25 boys' names (Henry, James, William, George, Alexander) are names that have been worn by English kings. Three of the top 20 girls' names (Charlotte, Eleanor, Elizabeth) are borne by royals now living.
Here's how royal names are performing in 2024 US data.
Girls: Royal Names in 2024
Charlotte — #4 (12,552 babies). Princess Charlotte of Wales was born in May 2015. Charlotte was already climbing when she was born — it had been in the top 20 since 2011 — but the royal birth accelerated a trend already in motion. It's now #4 and has been in the top 10 since 2014. The royal connection is real but secondary to the name's fundamental appeal: long, formal, Victorian, with a clear short form (Charlie, Lottie).
Elizabeth — #17 (6,878 babies). The most-used girls' name in English history: two English queens, Elizabethan eras, Elizabeth Bennet. Elizabeth has been somewhere between #7 and #25 continuously since SSA records began in 1880. Queen Elizabeth II (1926–2022) wore the name for 96 years. No single royal association defines Elizabeth — it has transcended association to become simply the most durable girls' name in the English language.
Eleanor — #14 (7,127 babies). Eleanor of Aquitaine, Eleanor of Castile, Eleanor Roosevelt — the name crosses dynasties. Eleanor has been climbing for fifteen years in the US, driven by the same vintage revival as Charlotte and Margaret. It's now top 15 and rising.
Victoria — #48 (4,267 babies). Queen Victoria (1819–1901) gave her name to an era. In the US it's been inside the top 100 for over a decade. It has the royal gravitas of Elizabeth with a slightly more old-fashioned quality — the current vintage revival hasn't pushed it as high as Charlotte or Eleanor, possibly because it feels more period-specific.
Margaret — #119 (2,303 babies). Princess Margaret (1930–2002) and Saint Margaret of Scotland kept the name in use through the 20th century. In the US it peaked in the 1920s–1930s and is now actively reviving. The Crown (Netflix) has given it a significant visibility boost — Margaret was consistently one of the show's most compelling characters.
Diana — #243 (1,293 babies). Princess Diana (1961–1997). Diana's name is at #243 in 2024 — still used, still meaningful. Prince William and Kate naming their daughter Charlotte rather than Diana was noted as a deliberate choice; the name remains strongly associated with one person and one era in a way that keeps it distinct from the broader royal revival.
Catherine — #320 (955 babies). The Princess of Wales. Catherine has been used as a first name far less than its variants Kate and Katie — in 2024 Kate is #271 (1,094 babies) and Katie is lower still, but Catherine itself holds mid-chart. The spelling with a C is more formal; the royal association is the most current.
Alexandra — #221 (1,387 babies). A name of queens across Europe — several British queens consort bore it. Alexandra feels more continental European than British royal, but it's been consistently mid-chart in the US for decades.
Beatrice — #579 (518 babies). Princess Beatrice, daughter of Prince Andrew. Beatrice is the Italian/Dantean version (Dante's Beatrice, La Vita Nuova) that has been gradually entering American use as the vintage revival extends to Italian-feeling names. Still niche.
Boys: Royal Names in 2024
Henry — #6 (11,547 babies). Eight English kings bore the name; Prince Harry's formal name is Henry. Henry has been climbing for fifteen years and is now firmly top 10. It's the royal name with the clearest current trajectory — it had fallen significantly in mid-century and came back through the vintage revival.
James — #5 (11,793 babies). Seven Scottish kings and two English kings. James has never truly fallen — it's been in the American top 10 for most of the past 150 years and is currently at #5, rising slightly. It's so embedded in both royal and biblical tradition that the two associations reinforce each other.
William — #10 (10,596 babies). Four English kings; the current Prince of Wales. William was #3 in 2004, declined slightly through the 2000s, and came back. Prince William's accession to a more public role has not visibly hurt it; the name's fundamental strength is historical rather than celebrity-dependent.
George — #124 (2,890 babies). Six English kings; Prince George of Wales (born 2013). George was in sharp decline in the US from the 1950s through the 1990s. Since around 2015 — when Prince George was about two years old — it has been climbing. Still recovering: #124 is well below its historical peak, but the direction has reversed.
Charles — #51 (5,593 babies). Two English kings. Charles peaked in the 1940s–1950s (Charles Schulz, Charles de Gaulle, etc.) and has been declining since. King Charles III's accession in 2022 has not visibly changed the US trend — the name remains in a slow vintage-revival mode at #51.
Arthur — #105 (3,318 babies). No English king has been named Arthur, but the Arthurian legend makes it royally adjacent. The name fell sharply in mid-century and has been climbing since around 2010. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reported to have considered Arthur for their son (choosing Archie instead); it's now widely used in Britain and climbing in the US.
Alexander — #27 (7,517 babies). More Scots royal than English — Alexander III of Scotland is often cited as the name's Scottish peak. It's also a major name throughout European royalty. In the US it's been solidly top 30 for twenty years.
Edward — #228 (1,584 babies). Eight English kings. Edward had been declining since its mid-century peak and has not revived as strongly as Henry or William. The Twilight association (Edward Cullen) gave it a small push in the 2010s that has since faded.
Archie — #333 (1,037 babies). Prince Harry and Meghan Markle named their son Archie in 2019, choosing the nickname-as-name form over Archibald. Archie had been climbing as part of the British nickname revival before 2019; the Sussex announcement accelerated it. The Archie comics association had already made it familiar to American parents.
Louis — #236 (1,503 babies). Prince Louis of Wales, youngest child of William and Kate (born 2018). Louis has been climbing in the US since around 2015 — it's a name with French royal roots (18 French kings) that has crossed comfortably into Anglo-American use. Still climbing.
Andrew — #68 (4,772 babies). Prince Andrew's association with the name has almost certainly had a dampening effect on US use since around 2019; the trajectory that was stable or rising has flattened. Andrew is still top 70, but its decline has steepened.
Does the royal effect actually work?
The short answer: yes, but not always in the expected way.
Charlotte — already climbing before Princess Charlotte's birth in 2015 — is the clearest case of royal acceleration of an existing trend. The name was going to be top 10; the royal birth made it faster.
George — starting to revive after years of decline — has clearly been helped by Prince George, born in 2013. The timeline matches precisely.
Archie — already in the top 700 in 2018 — jumped significantly after Prince Harry announced the name in 2019. By 2024 it's #333.
Diana — stuck in the 230s–270s for thirty years — has not revived despite The Crown's popularity. Names strongly associated with one specific person across one specific era are harder to revive.
Harry — not listed above, but worth noting: Harry has held steady in the mid-200s despite enormous name recognition of Prince Harry. Harry feels almost too associated with both the prince and the fictional wizard for a new generation of parents.
Explore these names in depth: Charlotte · Henry · George · Eleanor · Archie
Data: SSA 2024 US release. Royal associations based on historical and current British royal family.