How Meghan And Harry Have Influenced What People Name Their Babies

When talking about the stresses of pregnancy, there's one major factor people often forget to include: picking out a name for your newborn. It has to flow nicely with your surname, be easy to spell, and, most importantly, be tease-proof. Of course, many parents disregard this completely and pick something weird and wacky, but there's some evidence that unusual names could hinder future job prospects. And yet, even if you play it safe and stick with something traditional, it might end up with negative connotations down the line. After all, who could foresee the fall of Karen? In these difficult scenarios, people look to their role models for advice. And who better than two-time parents and sort-of royals, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle?

Harry and Meghan have already made a, ahem, name for themselves when it comes to names. At their wedding, the Archbishop of Canterbury announced them using their given first names, "Henry" and "Rachel" (via Good Housekeeping), prompting many people to go, "Who?" And now it seems they have been making waves in the field of baby names, as well. How's so?

While these days the term "influencer" comes with multiple implications, Harry and Meghan's impact on the world is undeniable. This was made clear when the UK Office for National Statistics released their annual list of most popular baby names, with Archie coming in at ninth. In case you have forgotten, Archie is the name of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's firstborn, which caused a bit of a stir at the time, as it doesn't have any British royal connotations, per the BBC. But, as we know very well, the two have never been afraid to break from tradition!

Meaning "genuine", "bold," or "brave," this is the first year that Archie has cracked the top 10 list of names. Interestingly, the name Harry has also gained in popularity, moving up from 11 to 8. And, even more interestingly, the name Archie knocked Charlie — a popular nickname for Charles, which happens to belong to his grandfather — out of the top 10 completely. Whether it's a sign that people draw more inspiration from the younger royals or not, Meghan and Harry's influence is obvious. And while Lilibet, the name of the couple's infant daughter, didn't appear on the list, we are sure it's just a matter of time!