Last Updated: February 21, 2026
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Kate Middleton had her “heart set” on a different name for Prince George, a new book claims
Last Updated: February 21, 2026
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Picking a baby name can feel like a whole event. You want something meaningful, something that fits, and something you will not regret yelling across a playground. Now imagine doing that while the whole world waits to hear what you chose.
According to a new biography, that was very much the vibe for Prince William and Kate Middleton as they tried to name their first child, Prince George.
A royal baby name with extra pressure
Prince George was born in July 2013, and as a future heir to the throne, his name was never going to be a casual decision. In the upcoming book “William and Catherine, The Monarchy’s New Era: The Inside Story“, author Russell Myers says the Prince and Princess of Wales put serious time into the process. Myers writes that they “spent hours” researching options for their first baby.
Another detail made it even trickier. They did not find out the baby’s sex before the birth. So they were trying to settle on strong choices for both a boy and a girl, without knowing which one they would actually need.
Kate had a favorite right away
If you have ever had a name you loved and tried to gently sell it to your partner, this part will sound familiar. Myers says Kate had clear favorites.
“Catherine had her heart set on Alexander for a boy or Alexandra, also Queen Elizabeth’s middle name, for a girl. William had privately voiced his preference for having a girl, and was keen to incorporate a tribute to his late mother, most likely in the form of a middle name,” Myers writes in William and Catherine“.
Kate’s picks make sense. Alexander is classic, royal-sounding, and easy to shorten if you want something more casual. The name Alexandra comes with built-in history, including a direct connection to Queen Elizabeth II’s middle name.
William wanted a tribute to Princess Diana
Myers also says Prince William leaned toward the idea of having a daughter, and he wanted to honor his late mother, Princess Diana, if they did. He was looking at a tribute that could fit naturally, like a middle name.
That detail matters because in families, middle names are often where you tuck the emotion. You can keep the first name practical, and still carry the meaning forward in a way that feels personal.
The baby name book that turned into a comedy session
The book describes Kate Middleton bringing friends into the conversation, especially close friends who were also moms. At one point, a friend even gave the couple a baby name book to help them brainstorm.
And apparently, it did not stay serious for long. “The couple had been given a book of baby names by a close friend, which they spent hours thumbing through; they often ended up in fits of laughter after one or the other had presented a more left-field suggestion,” Myers writes.
That is such a human detail. You can picture them sitting together, reading names out loud, and cracking up when one of them goes off script. Even in a palace, naming a baby can turn into a late-night scroll session, just with a book instead of a phone.
William’s prank for the press team
Myers says William also found a way to have fun with the public side of it. According to the biography, he would tease his press team by tossing out totally unexpected names with a straight face.
Myers writes that William would start meetings by asking, “What do you think about Rodney for a boy, or maybe Graham?” Then he would wait for their reaction before laughing.
It is easy to imagine the press team trying to stay professional while also thinking, wait, wait, is he serious. And honestly, if you spend your work life managing royal headlines, you probably learn to keep your poker face no matter what.
Why they landed on George
In the end, Myers writes that William narrowed his top boy names down to George and Louis. When their son arrived on July 22, 2013, they named him George Alexander Louis.
George is a strong, traditional choice, and it likely carries family meaning too. The name may be a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II’s father, King George VI, who led Britain through World War II and died in 1952 at age 56 after health complications.
And with Alexander included, Kate’s favorite still made it into the final pick, just not in the first spot.
A pattern shows up in Charlotte and Louis
If you look at the names of all three children, you start to see a consistent theme. Every name feels carefully chosen, with history and tribute layered in.
Their second child, daughter Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, was born on May 2, 2015. That name includes nods to Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana, which connects right back to the values described in the book.
Their third child, son Louis Arthur Charles, arrived on April 23, 2018. Louis may be a tribute to Lord Louis Mountbatten, a close relative of Prince Philip who was assassinated by an IRA bomb in 1979. The future King Charles was also close to Mountbatten, who was his godfather.
Charles named his first son William Arthur Philip Louis, and that middle name has been seen as a nod of its own. So even when a name sounds simple on the surface, it can carry a lot of family story underneath.
The book promises more than baby name stories
Myers’s biography explores William and Kate’s relationship, life in the public eye, and their future vision. Excerpts published so far also touch on bigger topics, including claims about William’s stance on Prince Andrew years earlier, how Kate and William talked to their children about her cancer diagnosis in 2024, and why Kate was less interested than William in bringing Prince Harry back into the fold after Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back from royal roles in 2020.
Still, it is the baby naming details that really stick. Behind the titles and the tradition, it sounds like two parents trying to agree on a name, laughing at oddball suggestions, and occasionally messing with the staff just because they can.
TL;DR
- Prince William and Kate Middleton reportedly spent hours researching baby names before Prince George was born in July 2013.
- They did not learn the baby’s sex ahead of time, which made choosing names harder.
- Kate’s top picks were Alexander for a boy and Alexandra for a girl.
- William privately hoped for a girl and wanted to include a tribute to Princess Diana, likely as a middle name.
- A baby name book from a friend turned their brainstorming into lots of laughs over more unusual ideas.
- William allegedly pranked his press team by floating unexpected options like “Rodney” and “Graham” before laughing.
- William’s top boy choices ended up being George and Louis, and they named their son George Alexander Louis.
- The naming style continued with meaningful tributes in Charlotte Elizabeth Diana and Louis Arthur Charles.
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