Elizabeth Is the Odds-on Favorite Baby Name for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Baby

Though Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have never officially announced a due date for their first child, the royal baby watch is officially on, with all that that entails: well-wishers, gender predictions, and... online gambling?

As early as last October—just days after the news of the pregnancy broke—betting sites like Betfair and Ladbrokes began taking wagers on everything from the baby's gender and birth weight to the day of the week it would be born. But by far the most contentious bit of betting has been, and remains, the issue of the name.

As of now, Elizabeth is holding on as the crowd favorite on Ladbrokes with 6/1 odds, and there may be a special reason for that. In addition to the obvious—Queen Elizabeth II being Harry's grandmother—many suspect that the royal baby will be born in late April, and if he or she manages to come into the world on Easter this year, the child will share more than just blood with its regal great-grandmother: they will also share a birthday. Adding a first name to the list of things that the Queen would have in common with the infant would only make sense.

Of course, Elizabeth is far from the only name in the running.

There's a long tradition of family names being handed down to royal babies, so it's no surprise that the betting front-runners at the moment are mostly comprised of names with some history.

Diana, the name of Prince Harry's late mother, currently ranks high on most lists—it's the top pick on Betfair and holds second place on Ladbrokes with 8/1 odds. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have certainly proven that they care a great deal about Diana's legacy, paying tribute to her at their wedding with white garden roses—the late Princess's favorite flower—in the bouquet and even using gems from her personal collection to craft Meghan's engagement ring. However, one of Princess Charlotte's middle names is already Diana, so it's possible that the couple would want to opt for something else.

Likewise Victoria, an homage to Prince Harry's ancestor Queen Victoria, is also a top choice, along with Albert, the name of Queen Victoria's beloved husband.

IMAGE CHRIS JACKSON / GETTY IMAGES

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry received gifts from the Canadian High Commissioner on Commonwealth Day 

High ranking on both sites are the names Arthur and Alice; options that were also popular in the anticipation of Prince William and Kate's three children. Arthur is one of the middle names of both Prince William and Prince Louis and is, of course, a nod to the great English king of myth and legend (as well as one of Queen Victoria's sons.) Meanwhile, Alice has remained a favorite of bookies for years given its royal pedigree as the name of both Queen Elizabeth's aunt and Prince Philip's mother.

Philip himself is another potential source for the baby's name (Ladbrokes is currently ranking it with 12/1 odds) along with Charles (Betfair's #3 pick), and Doria (50/1). Princess Diana's surname, Spencer, in the mix at 33/1.

And while the rankings may make some names seem like shoe-ins, the royals have a history of bucking the odds—Louis was hardly the most likely name for William and Kate's youngest, coming in at just 33/1 odds. Still, there are some choices that seem more likely than others; among the ranks of "Mary"s and "Alexander"s Ladbrokes also includes some more esoteric options for fans to bet on, including Barack and Winston at 100/1 odds and Brexit at 500/1.

According to Prince Charles, the public was very forthcoming with ideas for baby Sussex during Harry and Meghan's royal tour of Australia and New Zealand last fall. "Incidentally, ladies and gentlemen, my son Harry tells me that during their recent tour of Australia, he and his wife were offered countless thoughtful suggestions for the naming of their forthcoming baby," Charles said. "Just between us, I suspect that Kylie and Shane may possibly make the shortlist."

But Meghan Markle says they "haven't thought" of baby names yet. "We've been given a long list of names from everyone," she revealed during the royal tour of Australia. "We’re going to sit down and have a look at them. We haven’t thought of one as it’s still quite early.” 

Harry and Meghan were quizzed on baby names during a tram ride in Melbourne. Meghan said: “We';ve been given a long list of names from everyone. We’re going to sit down and have a look at them. We haven’t thought of one as it’s still quite early.” #RoyalBaby #RoyalVisitAustralia

— Lizzie Robinson (@LizzieITV) October 18, 2018

If you're looking to place a bet on the baby's name (or gender: Labrokes has a baby girl at 8/11 odds) keep in mind that the odds are likely to change dramatically in the coming weeks as royal baby fever kicks into high gear.

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