Meghan Markle issues stark warning about choosing baby names: ‘I will say this to every woman in the world’
Meghan Markle has shared her number one rule when it comes to baby names – and it’s a topic she’s not afraid to speak out about.
Meghan, who shares two children with Prince Harry – son Archie Harrison, six, and daughter Lilibet Diana, three – gave her thoughts on the matter during the season finale of her Lemonada Media podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder.
The episode was in conversation with Spanx founder Sara Blakely, as they spoke about being a business owner and balancing motherhood at the same time.
During the finale, the topic of naming a company came up, as Meghan lamented that the beginning of a business was like starting a ‘SurveyMonkey,’ in trying to get everyone’s thoughts on the venture – including about the name.
‘It’s no different, and I will say this to every woman in the world or every person in the world who’s going to have a child, if you have an idea about what you are going to name that baby, you keep it so close to your heart, until that baby is born and it’s named,’ Meghan said.
‘Don’t ask anyone’s opinion,’ she added.
Meghan said that the process is ‘not dissimilar to naming your company.’
In their biography of the Sussexes, Finding Freedom, Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand wrote that when naming Archie, the pair wanted something which was ‘something traditional, a name that was powerful even without a title in front of it.’
Meghan Markle has shared her number one rule when it comes to baby names – and it’s a topic she’s not afraid to speak out about
Meghan, who shares two children with Prince Harry – son Archie Harrison, six, and daughter Lilibet Diana, three – gave her thoughts on the matter during the season finale of her Lemonada Media podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder
During the finale, the topic of naming a company came up, as Meghan lamented that the beginning of a business was like starting a ‘SurveyMonkey,’ in trying to get everyone’s thoughts on the venture – including about the name
‘Archie, meaning strength and bravery, fit the bill,’ they added.
Meanwhile a friend of the couple revealed ‘with a laugh’: ‘They thought about Archibald for all of one second. He was always going to be little Archie.’
Unlike many senior royals, Archie only has one middle name, Harrison, a fitting tribute to the baby’s father as it means ‘son of Henry’ or ‘son of Harry.’
As for Lilibet, her middle name is a tribute to Prince William and Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana, who tragically passed away in 1997.
However, it has been reported that the late Queen Elizabeth II was upset over the couple’s decision to name their daughter Lilibet.
Lilibet was the affectionate childhood nickname of the late Queen, said to have come about because as a child Princess Elizabeth could never pronounce her name properly.
It was a name that was only used by her parents, King George VI, the Queen Mother, and her sister, Princess Margaret, or those closest to her like her husband, Prince Philip.
At the time, the BBC reported it had been told by a palace source that the Queen was not asked by the duke and duchess as to whether they could use it.
Lilibet was the affectionate childhood nickname of the late Queen, said to have come about because as a child Princess Elizabeth could never pronounce her name properly
During the season one finale of her podcast, Meghan also spoke about the hardships of pregnancy
Other sources told media, including the Mail, that while the Queen was called by her grandson and his wife, she felt she wasn’t in a position to say no.
One member of her staff says the monarch was ‘as angry as I’d ever seen her’ after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex publicly stated they would not have used her private family nickname if she had not been ‘supportive’.
The illuminating revelation was published in the biography – Charles III: New King, New Court. The Inside Story, by the Mail’s writer Robert Hardman.
During the season one finale of her podcast, Meghan also spoke about the hardships of pregnancy.
She revealed that she had gained 65 pounds during each of her pregnancies, and was still wearing high heels on royal engagements.
Meghan’s approach to naming her children is both thoughtful and inspiring. It’s refreshing to see someone so openly share their personal philosophy, especially on a topic as intimate as baby names. Her advice to keep the name close to your heart until the baby is born makes so much sense—it avoids unnecessary opinions and keeps the decision personal. I love how she draws a parallel between naming a child and naming a company, emphasizing the importance of staying true to your vision. The meanings behind Archie and Lilibet’s names are beautiful and carry such significance, especially the tribute to Harry and the royal family. It’s clear that Meghan and Harry put a lot of thought into these decisions, and it’s admirable how they balance tradition with their own values. Do you think this approach to naming could influence how others choose names for their children or businesses? I’d love to hear your thoughts on whether sharing name ideas early can really impact the decision-making process.