The Meaning Behind The Royal Baby's Name Is So Special

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s announcement that they’d named their baby Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor came as a surprise to many.

Archie and Harrison are far from traditional names for the royal family – which is exactly why this modern couple may have chosen them.

And while there are courtesy titles they could have used, such as the Earl of Dumbarton, they have chosen not to do so for now, according to palace sources, further demonstrating they’d like Archie to have as normal an upbringing as possible.

Today The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are delighted to share their first public moment as a family. They are so incredibly grateful for the warm wishes and support they've received from everyone around the world, since welcoming their son two days ago. Photo cred: Chris Allerton ©️Sussex royal

Archie is a shortened version of the name Archibald, which means ‘genuine’ and ‘bold’ or ‘brave’. The name has become increasingly popular in the UK, coming in at 18th most popular in the UK in 2017, while Harrison came in at 34^th, according to the Office for National Statistics.

The baby’s middle name, Harrison, originated in the Middle Ages as a patronymic meaning ‘son of Henry’ or ‘son of Harry’, which is fitting, as Prince Harry’s full name is Henry Charles Albert David.

The surname Mountbatten-Windsor, meanwhile, belongs to all the children and descendants of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.

As for its celebrity counterparts, there’s talk that the royal couple were perhaps influenced by the red-haired lead character in Archie Comics, which have been on US newsstands for years and inspired the recent spinoff TV series Riverdale.

Other famous Archies include former NFL quarterback Archie Manning, American boxer Archie Moore, Archie Shepp, a jazz saxophonist, and American football player Archie Griffin.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are pleased to announce they have named their first born child: Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor This afternoon Their Royal Highnesses introduced Her Majesty The Queen to her eighth great-grandchild at Windsor Castle. The Duke of Edinburgh and The Duchess' mother were also present for this special occasion. Photo credit: Chris Allerton ©️SussexRoyal

Archie was introduced to the world for the first time in St. George’s Hall in Windsor Castle on Wednesday, before the couple took him to meet his great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth.

Harry and a glowing Meghan beamed with pride as they posed for photos with two-day-old Archie, who slept soundly in his father’s arms.

“He’s just been the dream so it’s been a special couple of days," Meghan declared.

“It’s magic, it’s pretty amazing. I have the two best guys in the world so I’m really happy.”

As her husband held their son, Meghan added: “He has the sweetest temperament, he’s really calm.”

Welcome to the world, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor!

This article originally appeared on New Idea.