Decoding Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor: The meaning behind the newborn’s name

Here's a deeper look at Meghan and Harry's big decision

True to character, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have chosen a non-traditional and somewhat unusual name for their first child.

PHOTO:REUTERS

The Royal couple debuted Baby Archie to the world and to Queen Elizabeth II on Wednesday, after which they revealed his full name: Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. And of course, we couldn’t help but delve deeper into it.

Archie:

According to E! News, Archie is a boy's name of German origin which means 'truly brave.’  Despite speculation, Meghan and Harry have not confirmed whether the name is short for Archibald which it well could be considering Princess Diana had an ancestor named Archibald Campbell, 9th Earl of Argyll of Scotland.



The name Archie also may have a special meaning for the Royal family. In January, a woman told The Sun that she saw Meghan and Harry's nephew (Prince William and Kate Middleton's eldest child) Prince George playing with sister Charlotte and their maternal grandmother Carole Middleton near her home. The woman said she was walking her dog and George started petting it so she asked him what his name is. "To my astonishment, he said, 'I'm called Archie’,” she recalled.



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"This is a most unusual choice but I am not surprised. I knew they would go out of the box," royal historian Marlene Koenig stated. “I’ve said a few times that parents of non-royals have more freedom."

Harrison:

This one's quite literal. The name Harrison is a boy's name of English, Aboriginal origin which means, well, 'son of Harry.’

Mountbatten-Windsor:

For those of you who don’t know, this has been the last name of the queen's male- descendants who do not have royal titles and is a combination of her surname and husband Prince Philip's adopted surname of Mountbatten. William has used the name, as have his and Harry's uncle Prince Andrew, Duke of York and Aunt Anne, Princess Royal.

Interestingly, the Mountbatten family is a branch of the German house of Battenberg.  The House of Windsor is the reigning royal house of the UK and the rest of the Commonwealth.

PHOTO:REUTERS

Days before the big reveal, many predicted Meghan and Harry would opt for something along the lines of Arthur, Alexander or Albert. William and Kate gave their first two children names that have been used by the royal family over the past few centuries. Their youngest child, son Prince Louis also has a royal name. But their modern aunt and uncle opted not to do that.

When it comes to picking names, many royals have paid tribute to their lineage. For example, Princess Charlotte’s middle names are Elizabeth and Diana. However, it's common that the closer you are to the throne, the more traditional your child's name must be. And Archie is seventh in line.

What about a royal title? Well, the newborn won’t have one as his parents want him to lead a “normal” life. Instead, he will be referred to as "Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor."

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