Royal baby names and their meanings, as Princess Beatrice calls daughter Athena

Laura Hampson and Emma Clarke
Updated ·6-min read
Princess Beatrice and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, have announced the birth and name of their daughter. (Getty Images)
Princess Beatrice and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, have announced the birth and name of their second daughter. (Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi/Buckingham Palace via Getty Images)

Deciding what to call your child can be one of life’s biggest decisions, but what if that baby name was going to be shared with the world?

The Princess of Wales said she felt pressure naming her children, but ultimately decided to give them hers and the Prince of Wales’ "favourite names".

Following the birth of their daughter Sienna in 2021, Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi have now welcomed Athena Elizabeth Rose Mapelli Mozzi, born on 22 January.

Sharing the news on Instagram, her father Edoardo said that "she is tiny and absolutely perfect" and that the family was "completely besotted with her".

Here, we take a look at the next generation of Royal Family members – and what their modern monikers mean.

Prince George ahead of the coronation ceremony of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey, central London. Picture date: Saturday May 6, 2023. (Photo by Jacob King/PA Images via Getty Images)
Prince George at the King's Coronation. (Getty Images)

  • Parents: Prince and Princess of Wales

  • Born: 22 July, 2013

  • Name meaning: George was the name of the late Queen’s father and her grandfather. The name George stems from the Greek name Georgios, which means "farmer" and "earthworker", Babycentre says. George’s middle names, Alexander and Louis, are also family tributes, as Alexander pays homage to Queen Elizabeth II’s middle name of Alexandra, and Louis is also one of dad William’s middle names.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - MAY 06: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 24 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Princess Charlotte of Wales watches an RAF flypast from the balcony of Buckingham Palace following the Coronation of King Charles III & Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey on May 6, 2023 in London, England. The Coronation of Charles III and his wife, Camilla, as King and Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the other Commonwealth realms takes place at Westminster Abbey today. Charles acceded to the throne on 8 September 2022, upon the death of his mother, Elizabeth II. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
Princess Charlotte at the King's Coronation in May 2023. (Getty Images)

  • Parents: Prince and Princess of Wales

  • Born: 2 May, 2015

  • Name meaning: Princess Charlotte’s name is a nod to her grandfather, King Charles, as Charlotte is the feminine form of this name, which means "free man". Her middle names, Elizabeth and Diana, are a tribute to the late Queen and William’s late mother, Princess Diana.

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 08: Prince Louis of Wales tries his hand at archery while taking part in the Big Help Out, during a visit to the 3rd Upton Scouts Hut in Slough on May 8, 2023 in London, England. The Big Help Out is a day when people are encouraged to volunteer in their communities. It is part of the celebrations of the Coronation of Charles III and his wife, Camilla, as King and Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the other Commonwealth realms that took place at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, May 6, 2023. (Photo by Daniel Leal - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Prince Louis at the Big Help Out in 2023. (Getty Images)

  • Parents: Prince and Princess of Wales

  • Born: 23 April, 2018

  • Name meaning:Louis is the middle name of both Prince George and his dad William, and was the name of Prince Philip’s uncle Lord Louis Mountbatten, who was killed in an IRA bombing in 1979. The name Louis is a French name and a play on "Ludwig", which means "famous warrior". Arthur is both William and King Charles’ middle name, and Charles is a direct tribute to Louis’ grandfather.

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA - SEPTEMBER 25: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and their baby son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor at a meeting with Archbishop Desmond Tutu at the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation during their royal tour of South Africa on September 25, 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Toby Melville - Pool/Getty Images)
Prince Archie with Meghan and Harry in 2019. (Getty Images)

  • Parents: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

  • Born: 6 May, 2019

  • Name meaning: When Prince Archie was born in 2019, not even the bookies saw his name coming. It is a shortened version of Archibald which has German origins and means "genuine", "bold" and "brave". Harrison is a tribute to his father, Prince Harry.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Misan Harriman (@misanharriman)

  • Parents: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

  • Born: 4 June, 2021

  • Name meaning: Lilibet is a homage to the late Queen’s childhood nickname. It stems from Elizabeth which means "God is my oath". Diana is a tribute to Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana.

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A post shared by Princess Eugenie (@princesseugenie)

  • Parents: Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi

  • Born: 18 September, 2021

  • Name meaning: The name Sienna comes from the Italian city of Siena and means "orange-red". Elizabeth is a nod to Beatrice’s grandmother, the late Queen.

UNSPECIFIED LOCATION AND DATE: (EDITOR'S NOTE: This Handout image was provided by a third-party organization and may not adhere to Getty Images' editorial policy.) (EDITORIAL USE ONLY, NO SALES. NO USE AFTER FEBRUARY 14, 2025) (It is not approved for use on souvenirs, or memorabilia; or anything similar. No charge should be made for the supply, release or publication of the photograph. There shall be no commercial use whatsoever of the photograph. The photograph must not be digitally enhanced, manipulated or modified in any way and must include all of the individual when published The photograph shall not be used after 14 February 2025, without prior permission from Buckingham Palace. Any questions relating to the use of the photograph should be first referred to Buckingham Palace before publication or broadcast. NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. MANDATORY CREDIT: Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. This undated handout photo, released on January 29, 2025, provided by Buckingham Palace of Athena Elizabeth Rose Mapelli Mozzi, daughter of Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, who was born on Wednesday January 22, at 12:57pm, at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, weighing 4 pounds and 5 ounces. (Photo Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi/Buckingham Palace via Getty Images)
Athena Elizabeth Rose Mapelli Mozzi was born at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London in 2025. (Photo Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi/Buckingham Palace via Getty Images)

  • Parents: Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi

  • Born: 22 January, 2025

  • Name meaning: Athena was the goddess of war, handicraft and wisdom in Greek mythology, and "Elizabeth" is a nod to the late Queen, Princess Beatrice's grandmother.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - JUNE 05: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 24 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Princess Eugenie and son August Brooksbank attend the Platinum Pageant on The Mall on June 5, 2022 in London, England. The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II is being celebrated from June 2 to June 5, 2022, in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
Princess Eugenie with her son, August Brooksbank at the 2022 Platinum Jubilee celebrations. (Getty Images)

  • Parents: Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank

  • Born: 9 February, 2021

  • Name meaning: August’s name comes from Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert, who had Augustus as his middle name. Philip is a nod to Eugenie’s grandfather, the late Prince Philip. August means "great" and "revered".

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A post shared by Princess Eugenie (@princesseugenie)

  • Parents: Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank

  • Born: 30 May, 2023

  • Name meaning: Ernie was named after "his great great great Grandfather George, his Grandpa George" and his middle name came from Eugenie’s maternal "Grandpa Ronald" The name Ernest has German origins and means "earnest" or "serious".

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 29: Peter Philips, Savannah Philips and Isla Phillips at the Memorial service for The Duke Of Edinburgh Westminster Abbey on March 29, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)
(L-R) Isla, Peter, and Savannah Phillips. (Getty Images)

  • Parents: Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly

  • Born: 29 December, 2010

  • Name meaning: The eldest of the late Queen’s great grandchildren, Savannah’s middle name is a nod to her grandmother, Princess Anne. Her first name has Native American origins and means "grassland".

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 29: Savannah Philips and Isla Phillips at the Memorial service for The Duke Of Edinburgh Westminster Abbey on March 29, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)
(L-R) Isla and Savannah Phillips. (Getty Images)

  • Parents: Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly

  • Born: 29 March, 2012

  • Name meaning: As well as being one of the most popular baby names in the UK, Isla has Scottish roots and is derived from Islay which means island. Isla continues the family tradition of having Elizabeth as a middle name, a homage to the late Queen.

Mia Tindall
Mia Tindall at the Royal Family's Easter Sunday service 2023. (Getty Images)

  • Parents: Zara Tindall (nee Phillips) and Mike Tindall

  • Born: 17 January, 2014

  • Name meaning: The eldest daughter of Zara and Mike Tindall, Mia’s name is the Scandinavian form of Maria, and it means "bitter".

Lena Tindall
Lena Tindall attends the Royal Family Easter Sunday service in 2023. (Getty Images)

  • Parents: Zara Tindall and Mike Tindall

  • Born: 18 June, 201While Lena Tindall sticks to tradition with her middle name of Elizabeth, her first name is more modern. It has Greek origins and means "torch".

  • Name meaning: While Lena Tindall sticks to tradition with her middle name of Elizabeth, her first name is more modern. It has Greek origins and means “torch”.

Zara and Lucas Tindall
Lucas Tindall is the third child and only son of Zara and Mike Tindall. (Getty Images)

  • Parents: Zara Tindall and Mike Tindall

  • Born: 21 March, 2021

  • Name meaning: Philip was the name of Zara Tindall’s late grandfather, Prince Philip. Lucas means "from Lucania", a region in southern Italy.

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