Royal baby name - place your bets

Herald online

9 Sep, 2014 03:40 AM3 mins to read

Princess Diana, James Middleton, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles. Photos / Getty Images

It took less than an hour after the announcement the Duchess of Cambridge was pregnant again before odds started being offered on what name would be chosen.

Some Twitter suggestions are that a name like Angus, Jock or Munro may help ease the political tension in Scotland. However, the current favourites are more traditional.

We don't even know what gender the baby is yet, but here are the top names being suggested.

Top Royal Girl Names

1. Elizabeth
Odds: 10:1 (PaddyPower) and 8:1 (Ladbrokes)
Ladbrokes, who correctly picked the name of firstborn baby George, and PaddyPower both think Elizabeth is the strongest contender. It is the name of Prince William's grandmother - Queen Elizabeth II, his great-grandmother - The Queen Mother and Kate's great-grandmother.

2. Victoria
Odds: 10:1 (PaddyPower) and 8:1 (Ladbrokes)
Currently at the same odds as Elizabeth, Victoria is another strong contender. Queen Victoria played an instrumental part in the transition into a constitutional monarchy and means "victory" or "conquer".

3. Mary
Odds: 10:1 (PaddyPower) and 12:1 (Ladbrokes)
This royal favourite is in the mix. However, some believe the name is associated with "Bloody Mary" - the queen who executed Protestants in the 16th century.

4. Diana
Odds: 10:1 (SkyBet) 25:1 (PaddyPower) and 12:1 (Ladbrokes)
Perhaps a little controversial, Diana is of course the name of Prince William's late mother.

5. Alexandra
Odds: 12:1 (PaddyPower) and 16:1 (Ladbrokes)
Alexandra was the favourite girls' name picked last time the Duchess was pregnant, and is popular again this time. However, Prince George has Alexander as one of his middle names so it has slipped down the ranks.

Top Royal Boy Names

1. James
Odds: 14:1 (PaddyPower) and 6:1 (Ladbrokes)
James, the name of Kate's brother is currently the favourite. It also has strong royal ties as it was the name of two English, and many Scottish, kings.

2. Philip
Odds: 10:1 (PaddyPower) and 20:1 (Ladbrokes)
Though there has never been a monarch named Philip, this is the name of Prince William's grandfather, the Queen's husband.

3. Arthur
Odds: 12:1 (PaddyPower) and 8:1 (Ladbrokes)
Arthur is rising in popularity for boys names in Britain and has a rich royal history. Arthur was the name of Queen Victoria's son and grandson.

4. Charles
Odds: 12:1 (PaddyPower) and 10:1 (Ladbrokes)
This is the name of Prince George's grandfather and Prince William's father.