Prince Louis: The meaning behind the royal baby name
On Friday morning, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge announced the name of their third child: Prince Louis Arthur Charles.
Louis was born late Monday morning weighing a healthy 8 lbs 7 oz. Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge introduced the newborn to waiting photographers as they left the Lindo Wing at St. Mary’s Hospital in London — a mere seven hours after giving birth.
Like his royal siblings, Prince Louis’s name has historical significance and pays tribute to several members of the royal family.
The third royal baby is named in honour of Prince William, who’s full name is William Arthur Philip Louis. Of course, his third middle name is reference to grandfather Prince Charles, who is heir to the throne of England. Charles also shares the middle name Arthur.
It may also be a tribute to the controversial Lord Louis Mountbatten, Charles’s great uncle, who shared a strong bond with the Prince of Wales throughout his childhood.
Like his brother and sister, little Louis will be known formally as Prince Louis of Cambridge.
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Like all new parents, deciding on a baby name can be an arduous task. For a royal baby, there comes the added pressure to choose a name that satisfies the both the parents and the public, while also possessing a historical significance.
Prince William and Kate must also inform the Queen of their name choice — and while it’s unlikely that Her Majesty would veto their decision, it probably fares better for everyone involved if the second in line to the British throne follows tradition when naming his children.
For their first child in 2013, William and Kate chose to name their son George Alexander Louis. George pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth’s father, King George IV, while Alexander was chosen to acknowledge the Queen, who’s full name is Elizabeth Alexandra Mary. The third royal name, Louis, is one of Prince William’s middle names.
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In 2015, the birth of Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana was the first sign of William and Kate slightly diverting from royal tradition. While Charlotte is the feminization of William’s father, Prince Charles, Elizabeth pays tribute to both the Queen and Kate Middleton’s great-grandmother.
Although Diana is not typically a contender for royal babies, it was of course, an obvious and heartwarming sign of respect for William’s mother, Princess Diana. Royal fans were pleased to that Prince William and Kate chose to honour Diana, who died tragically in 1997.
The name Louis made the top 100 most popular boy’s names in 2017. Louis, meaning “renowned warrior,” was ranked number 86th, quite aways behind Charles, which came in at number 36.
The most popular of the newborn prince’s names is actually Arthur. Meaning “bear”, the name came in as the 36th most popular name of 2017.
With Prince George being a serious fellow in photos, and Princess Charlotte waving like a pro to photographers, we can’t wait to see how little Louis’s personality develops!
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