Prince Harry's daughter Lilibet's birth sparks big change

Kate Thomas
·3 min read
prince harry with meghan markle and kisses lilibet
prince harry with meghan markle and kisses lilibet

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle welcomed their daughter Princess Lilibet Diana into the world with "great joy" on June 4, 2021. But did you know that the Sussexes made history with their baby name choice?

The young royal's full name, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, pays tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II's childhood nickname as well as Prince Harry's late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.

While it's tradition for the royals to pay tribute to family members with their symbolic name choices – with Princess Beatrice giving her second daughter a meaningful family name just this week – Lilibet was an unusual moniker at the time.

More Princess Lilibet

The name derives from the Hebrew root Elisheva meaning "God is my oath" and is a sweet and unusual nickname for Elizabeth.

The Bump website has tracked the popularity of the name worldwide over time, and it's plain to see how Meghan and Harry's choice has influenced popular culture.

Meghan Markle holding baby Princess Lilibet at Montecito mansion
Princess Lilibet sparked a huge baby name trend following her June 4, 2021 birth (Netflix)

Lilibet went from number 12,986 in 1988 to a huge uptick in popularity in 2022, the year after the young royal's birth.

The moniker shot up to number 5,102 in 2022, had a massive spike of over 1,368 per cent in 2023, and ranked at #2,072 by 2024.

Their son Prince Archie Harrison's name is, of course, even more popular. Worldwide, the name ranks at number 193, according to The Bump, and it currently stands at number 11 in the UK.

Princess Lilibet and Meghan Markle are seated on a blanket surrounded by their three dogs
The young royal's name is even more popular in the UK (pictured with mother Meghan Markle) (Instagram / @meghan)

Most popular royal baby names in the UK

We recently did a deep dive into the most popular royal names for girls – and surprisingly, Catherine was only number 15.

Leading the pack was Isla, the name given to Peter Phillips' daughter upon her birth in 2012, with 2,613 baby girls christened with the moniker in 2023.

Meghan smiling at Harry in Ireland
Harry and Meghan's name choice caused the moniker to surge to #2,072 worldwide by 2024 (Getty)

It was followed by Mia, aka Zara Tindall’s daughter, while Princess Beatrice’s daughter Sienna’s name also featured high up.

As for Lilibet, it is the 17th most popular royal-inspired baby name, with 29 babies born in the UK in 2023 named after the princess.

The study, by Children’s Play Therapy Experts Meemzy Magic, compiled a list of key members of the British royal family, using the latest data from the Office of National Statistics.

Archie flying a kite in Montecito, wearing jeans and bobble hat
Prince Archie's name is even more popular - especially in the UK (Netflix)

Meghan's connection to the name Lilibet

While the name has special connotations for Harry, Lilibet – or 'Lili' as the couple have nicknamed her – also has a connection to Meghan’s childhood.

DISCOVER: Meet Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet

Baby Lilibet sleeping
The unusual moniker has several meanings - including a family connection

As revealed by People, Meghan referred to herself as 'Flower' on her blog during her Suits days.

On the now-defunct lifestyle site The Tig, Meghan listed her nicknames as "Meg, MM, M&M, and Flower (which my mom has called me since I was little)."

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