12 Royal Baby Names With Crowns in Their History
Royal names come with a built-in story, and that is half the fun. Tell someone your son is named Henry and they may think of a Tudor king. Tell them your daughter is Matilda and a history buff may mention an empress who fought for a crown. You get a dinner-table tale without having to make anything up.
I have been careful here, because royal stories grow in the retelling. Some of these names belong to rulers we know well. Others, like Arthur, belong to a legend that may never have been real. A couple simply carry a root meaning ruler. I say which is which, so you can tell the story honestly when a curious relative asks at a family dinner.
How we picked: I chose names carried by a known king, queen, empress or ruler, or whose root means ruler, and noted where history is unclear.
-
Eleanor of Aquitaine was queen of France and then of England in the 1100s. Most sources trace her name to Alienor, though the meaning is a little foggy. It ranked No. 12 for girls in 2025, so a classmate may share it.
More about Eleanor → -
Two Matildas give this one a crown. William the Conqueror's wife brought the name to England, and their granddaughter, Empress Matilda, fought for the English throne. The roots mean might and battle. Fair warning: most people will think of a book before either woman.
More about Matilda → -
Queen Wilhelmina reigned in the Netherlands from 1890 to 1948, through both world wars. So this name has a steady, grown-up weight. It also takes up a whole line on a school form. Mina and Minnie are there for daily use.
More about Wilhelmina → -
Josephine Bonaparte, first wife of Napoleon, was Empress of the French, and she is the main reason English speakers know the name. Older relatives may quote 'Not tonight, Josephine.' Kids rarely get the joke, and it tends to draw a smile.
More about Josephine → -
Long before 1066, Anglo-Saxon royal families liked the name Edith. It means roughly fortune in battle. The hurdle is the great-grandmother image some people still hear. On paper the nickname Edie can be read as Eddie, so a few emails may go to Mr.
More about Edith → -
England has crowned eight kings named Henry, which is a lot of history for two syllables. It means home ruler, from the Germanic Heimirich. The watch-out is history class, where Henry VIII and his six wives will come up and someone will tease your son.
More about Henry → -
King Arthur may never have lived. Historians still argue over whether a real leader stood behind the legend, and the name's meaning is foggy too, with bear the most common guess. Be ready for sword-in-the-stone jokes and a classmate who calls him King.
More about Arthur → -
The month and the name both trace back to Augustus, the first Roman emperor, whose title meant exalted. Three Polish kings carried August too. Every new person will ask if he was born in August, so have a short answer ready.
More about August → -
9Rhys
Rhys ap Gruffydd ruled much of south Wales in the 1100s and gives this name its royal line. It is short and sturdy. The cost in the U.S. is spelling: the silent H and the Y that says ee will confuse people for years.
More about Rhys → -
10Rory
The meaning sits right in the name: red king, from the Irish Ruaidhrí. The last High King of Ireland carried it in the 1100s. Rory is casual on the ear, which balances the grand meaning. Small children may struggle with both R's.
More about Rory → -
11Emery
Emery is the quiet royal pick. Its root, the Germanic Emmerich, includes the word for ruler, and that is the only part experts agree on. Be wary of sites offering one neat meaning. Some adults will also think of a nail file at first.
More about Emery → -
12Ines
Inês de Castro was a 14th-century noblewoman and wife of Pedro I of Portugal, and her story is famous there. Ines is the Spanish and Portuguese form of Agnes. In an American class, people may stress the wrong syllable, so teach ee-NES early.
More about Ines →
A royal name can carry a lot of history without feeling heavy. Henry and Rory wear their crowns lightly. Wilhelmina does not. Before you decide, read a little about the ruler behind the name, because some royal stories are not ones you will want to retell at a birthday party. Then pick the version of the history you are happy to explain.
Save this list
Save it to a Pinterest board to find it again when you pick names.
Questions about this list
Is it odd to pick a royal name if we have no royal ties?
Not at all. Most people with these names have no link to any crown. Names like Henry and Eleanor spread so widely that the royal tie is now just one part of their story.
Which of these is tied to a legend instead of a real ruler?
Arthur. Historians still debate whether a real British leader stood behind King Arthur. Emery is royal by meaning rather than by one famous ruler, and the rest point to documented figures.
Do any of these mean king or queen?
Rory comes from the Irish for red king, and Henry means home ruler. Emery holds a root meaning ruler, though the rest of its meaning is uncertain. Most of the others are royal by history, not by meaning.
Ranks come from U.S. Social Security Administration data. Meanings follow the sources on each name page.