Baby names that might be on Duchess Kate and Prince William's list

And, yeah, we called an expert.

By Glamour Magazine Dec 3, 2012 9:15PM

by Megan Angelo

I am not going to deny it: The royal baby has made my day, plain and simple. There's so much ahead of us. Bump pictures, elaborate paparazzi hospital diversions...

Pink or blue?

PINK OR BLUE?

I will try not to overdo it when it comes to blog excitement. That is my solemn vow. But please give me this: We've got to talk names. Names are the best part!*

*I know babies have a lot of great qualities. I know they change lives. I'm just excited about the names right now, OK?

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So I decided we should handicap this the same way we would if we were trying to guess our own sister's picks. Which is to say: obsessively. And thoroughly. And, because I was really serious about the "thorough" part, I called up Laura Wattenberg, creator of babynamewizard.com.

What I learned: "A royal baby in the direct line to the throne is a whole different category from every other kind of royal baby," Wattenberg said. Not to mention that in Kate's case, the pesky family "feedback" on the name choice is coming from, uh, the Queen.

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So let's explore some options.

Theory #1: They could go trendy. The top girl names in the UK last year aren't dissimilar from those in the U.S.: There's Olivia, Sophie and Emily at the top of the girls' list. The boys are a little different, though: Oliver, Jack and Harry are the top three. Harry has "exploded" in the UK as of late, Wattenberg said, because of the holy triumvirate: Prince, Potter and Styles. Of course, William and Kate are unlikely to name their baby after William's younger brother -- but there's a girl name out there that nicely blends UK trends and family tradition. "Louise is a name that would baffle American parents, but it's in the royal line and very fashionable in the UK right now," Wattenberg said.

Theory #2: They could look way back in the family tree. Wattenberg believes the Duke and Duchess are most likely to draw inspiration from the royal genealogy: "Parents are less likely to name their kids after parents or grandparents [these days], but no one cares about tradition in names more than the monarchy," Wattenberg said, who added that, lest we forget, royals have names so long you'd think Uma Thurman had a hand in the process. If it's a boy, "a kingly name like George is likely to be in there somewhere," she said. A girl's name that feels modern but is scattered throughout the royal lineage: Alexandra. (Also on the tree, to name a few: Isabel, Henrietta and Margaret; Arthur, Charles and Leopold.)

Theory #3: They could make a specific homage. I'm sure it's crossed all of our minds already: "If there's one name right now that's classic and fraught with meaning in the royal family, it's Diana," Wattenberg said. William and Kate also have plenty of names to toy with changing the gender on: Victor, for example, would pay tribute to the late Queen Victoria--while Philip could honor both William's grandfather, Prince Philip, and Kate's sister, Pippa (Philippa).

Theory #4: They could pull a Blue Ivy. But they probably won't, said Wattenberg (who wrote a piece on Jay and Bey's choice in the WSJ this year): "It's hard to imagine this Royal Air Force pilot going off the deep end -- William has followed the classic line of what is expected from a rising monarch." So don't hold your breath for Freesia Marie or Banana Joe. Especially not Banana Joe.