Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Nearly Gave Archie a Different Name

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Speaking to a fan at the Invictus Games in the Netherlands, Meghan Markle revealed that she and Prince Harry almost gave their son Archie a different first name. When introduced to a little boy named Harrison, Meghan told Harrison's mom, Mandy, that she and Harry had nearly given their son the first name Harrison as well—ultimately deciding to give it to Archie as a middle name. "[My wife] was like ‘Harrison, that’s Archie’s middle name’, and Mandy was like ‘Yeah, I know’," said Mandy's wife, Sherry McBain, per PA. "They were just having a chat because Harry and Meghan couldn’t decide between Archie and Harrison for the first name.”

Ultimately, the decision to name their son Archie may have come down to the origins of the word. When Harry and Meghan announced Archewell, the organization the couple founded to continue their life of public service, they noted that they had been inspired by the Greek word "arche" for both Archewell and Archie. They said at the time: "Before SussexRoyal came the idea of 'arche'—the Greek word meaning 'source of action.' We connected to this concept for the charitable organization we hoped to build one day, and it became the inspiration for our son's name. To do something of meaning, to do something that matters."

Traditionally used as a nickname for "Archibald," Archie has become a popular full name in and of itself, especially since Harry and Meghan used it for their first son. In England and Wales, "Archie" was the ninth most popular baby name in 2020 (although it doesn't come close to "George," the name of Archie's cousin, whose name is the second most-popular).

"Harrison" also has sentimental meaning for the couple—it means "son of Harry." The couple also chose a name with personal meaning for their second child, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor: Lilibet has been Queen Elizabeth's family nickname for decades. Diana, of course, is a nod to Prince Harry's late mother, Princess Diana, who died in a car crash in Paris in 1997.

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