As the nation tries to predict the name the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will choose for their first child ahead of his or her impending arrival, new research conducted across all leading baby name websites in the US and UK has shed light on reasons why the bookies’ favourites for the baby’s name are far from accurate.

While British names, such as ‘Victoria’, ‘Grace’ or ‘Alice’ for a girl, or ‘James’ and ‘Arthur’ for a boy, currently occupy the shortest odds, cultural differences in the perception of certain names among UK and US parents, and even how names are pronounced in different accents, could have a profound influence on the name given to the newborn, according to experts.

As the first Royal baby to be born with a British father and American mother, this seemingly small detail will have a big influence on the name of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s baby – meaning those betting on a traditionally British moniker may be sorely disappointed.

Dr. Jane Pilcher, an Associate Professor of Sociology at Nottingham Trent University and leading authority on the sociology of names, explains: “Culture plays a vital role in the perception of certain names, the names that are popular or unpopular in different countries and, ultimately, what we choose to name our children. As this will be the first Royal baby to have both British and American parentage, I would be surprised if Harry and Meghan agree on a name that we would expect, or that’s quintessentially British. They will need to choose a name that is suitable for Royalty, but they also have the added challenge of it being accepted and correctly pronounced among both the UK and US public.”

Prince Harry and Meghan Duchess of Sussex

According to research among international baby naming websites and communities conducted by My Nametags (www.mynametags.com), something as simple as how names are pronounced in an American accent can put parents off certain names. The name ‘Harry’ is a prime example. While in the UK Harry is the second most popular baby name for boys, in the US its pronunciation as ‘hairy’ has put mothers off, according to conversations on US baby naming website Behindthename.com.  In fact, Harry doesn’t even make the top 50 boys names in the States.

Similarly, ‘Oliver’, which topped the British baby name charts last year, doesn’t receive the same adoration across the pond, with American mothers on Nameberry.com admitting to pronouncing it ‘Aw-Liverrr’ instead of ‘Aw-Livah’ .  That said, many US mothers on the Behindthename.com parenting community said its association with the fictional character, Oliver Twist, gave the name added appeal.

Arthur, which currently has odds of 12/1 with the bookies, is pronounced ‘author’ by Americans, according to mothers discussing the name on the Nameberry US baby naming website.

Second favourite on betting websites, ‘James’, currently has odds of 14/1, but if the Duke and Duchess share the views of British and American mothers on Behindthename.com, who describe the name as ‘common’ and ‘overused’, it’s unlikely to be a top choice. James also hasn’t made an appearance in the Royal family since James II in the 17^th Century. He was deposed, so this choice wouldn’t make for the best namesake.

If the Royal baby is a girl, ‘Victoria’, ‘Diana’ and ‘Alice’ currently occupy the top predictions for punters hoping to guess the Duke and Duchess’ baby name. But insights into cultural perceptions of these names across the globe also start to show cracks in their appeal among US parents.

Victoria remains in the top 100 girls’ names in the UK, sitting at 92 in 2018, and is even more popular in the US where it ranked 19^thlast year. But, according to Babycenter, the name is branded as pretentious on both sides of the Atlantic and the nickname ‘Vicky’ isn’t popular, either.