Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Considered a Different Name for Archie

cape town, south africa september 25 prince harry, duke of sussex, meghan, duchess of sussex and their baby son archie mountbatten windsor meet archbishop desmond tutu and his daughter thandeka tutu gxashe at the desmond leah tutu legacy foundation during their royal tour of south africa on september 25, 2019 in cape town, south africa photo by toby melvillepoolsamir husseinwireimage — (Image credit: Pool/Samir Hussein)

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry briefly considered a different name for baby Archie Harrison: Archibald.
A friend of the Sussexes told royal biographers Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand that Meghan and Harry considered Archibald "for all of one second."
"He was always going to be little Archie," the friend shared.

Turns out Archie wasn't always going to be Archie! In Sussex biography Finding Freedom, a friend of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry tells authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand that the couple briefly considered another name for their little one (though admittedly, it's pretty close to what they settled on). As Hello! reports, Scobie and Durand write that Meghan and Harry "wanted something traditional, a name that was powerful even without a title in front of it." According to their unnamed friend, "They thought about Archibald for all of one second...He was always going to be little Archie."

Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family

Speaking of baby Sussex, last week Harry let one of his nicknames for Archie slip during a video call marking the 125th anniversary of the Rugby Football League. Speaking about his plan to get Archie playing rugby, he referred to his son as "our little man." Cute!

"I've got a little space outside, which I'm fortunate enough to have so I need to get [Archie] playing some Rugby League," Harry said. "I'm just unbelievably fortunate and grateful to have outdoor space and see my son be able to be outside, because I know so many people just haven't had that opportunity in the last five months."

"Our little man is our number one priority but our work after that is the second priority," the royal continued. "We’re just trying to do everything we can to do our part to make the world a better place."

Emily Dixon is a British journalist who’s contributed to CNN, Teen Vogue, Time, Glamour, The Guardian, Wonderland, The Big Roundtable, Bust, and more, on everything from mental health to fashion to political activism to feminist zine collectives. She’s also a committed Beyoncé, Kacey Musgraves, and Tracee Ellis Ross fan, an enthusiastic but terrible ballet dancer, and a proud Geordie lass.