The Most Unique Royal Family Baby Names & Their Deep Meanings

Whether it's spoken or not, there seems to be an overarching theme of tradition and timelessness among the British royal family, whether it's these modern royal family wedding dresses, ranked by timelessness, or baby names, with nods to the past particularly prevalent. In terms of traditional names, Elizabeth has been abundantly used for generations, and in recent years, it's been added as a middle name for the majority of the female descendants of Elizabeth II. Anne is another one that's frequently used, most notably for Princess Anne. And then there's Charlotte. Though the name hasn't been frequently used in the monarchy in recent eras, it has become one of the most popular baby girl names in the world.

Even in a traditional family like the Windsors, there are the outliers, or the slight rebels who chose unique names for their royal babies. Athena? We bet bet-makers weren't expecting that one. Zara? That was a first for a royal, and her uncle King Charles was reportedly the one who suggested it. Here are some of the other interesting meanings behind some of the most unique names in the British royal family.

If you don't want the world weighing in on potential baby names, listen to Meghan Markle's baby-naming advice, which comes down to not asking for opinions. The first and middle names of daughter Lilibet Diana, who is seventh in line to the throne as of 2026, are a heartfelt tribute to husband Prince Harry's grandma, Queen Elizabeth II, whose nickname was Lilibet, and of course, Harry's late mother Princess Diana. Lilibet (and Elizabeth) means "God is my oath" and Diana means "divine."

In 1988, then-Prince Andrew and then-wife Sarah Ferguson's first daughter was born. They originally wanted to name her Annabel, but Andrew's mother reportedly nixed it. Queen Elizabeth II also said no to their follow-up choice, Victoria. The monarch put Beatrice forward as a suggestion, and the final name, Beatrice Elizabeth Mary, was announced 11 days after the birth. Beatrice is of Latin origin and means "voyager." It was also the name of Queen Victoria's youngest child, but hadn't been used in the royal family for a few generations. 

Despite potential red flags in Princess Beatrice's marriage, per our relationship coach, the couple has expanded their family since marrying in 2020. She is stepmother to husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi's son, and has two daughters, Sienna and Athena. Though Sienna is a relatively popular name, Athena is rarer, and a first in the Windsor line. The tot, 11th in line to the throne at the time of writing, was born January 2025. Athena was the Greek goddess of wisdom and war; her middle names are Elizabeth, a tribute to her grandmother, and Rose.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson's second daughter was born in 1990; no word on whether the queen was involved in the naming process. The baby's name, Eugenie Victoria Helena, though unique as a name for commoners, has been used for royals throughout history, and appropriately so: It means "well born" or "noble." Like her niece Athena, Eugenie is of Greek origin, which some have speculated may be a nod to her Greek grandad, Andrew's father, Prince Phillip.

Princess Anne has said that her brother King Charles III offered his support for her daughter Zara's name, per Hello!. The name means "shining" and "radiant," but also means "flower." It has never before been used for a member of the British monarchy. The irony is that Anne didn't want Zara, born in 1981, to have the royal title of princess, yet the name is regarded as the Arabic version of Sarah, which in fact means "princess."

Like her own name, Zara Tindall didn't give her daughters Mia and Lena names grounded in royal history. But Lena Elizabeth Tindall, born in 2018, wasn't mum Zara's first choice of name. According to a 2018 interview Zara did with The Telegraph, she wanted to call her daughter Elena, but she worried that the initials ET would prompt teasing for being an extra terrestrial. So she dropped the E and left the Lena, which is pronounced "Lay-na," and is, once again, of Greek origin and means "ray of light."

In late 2010, Queen Elizabeth II's first great-grandchild was born. She's the daughter of Princess Anne's son, Peter, and now ex-wife Autumn Kelly. The couple has never publicly spoken about the meaning of Savannah Anne Kathleen's name, though the middle names are those of her two grandmothers. The name Savannah is of Native American origin and refers to the noun of the same name, meaning "grasslands" or "open plain." The name has been used since the 1880s, but is still relatively unique, especially for a member of the British royal family.