Prince William and Catherine’s new baby will likely have a deeply-traditional name

BOOKIES have been offering all kinds of odds on the likely name for the new royal baby, but as it’s such a closely-guarded secret, there is only one thing we know about it for certain.

PRINCE William and Catherine’s new baby will likely have a deeply-traditional name with strong links to the royal family going back generations.

Both their previous two children, Prince George, 4, and Princess Charlotte, 2, have names which can be directly traced back to the royal family, although Charlotte is also the middle name of Catherine’s commoner sister Pippa.

For their third child, bookmakers had the name Arthur as the most likely for a new baby prince, at 5/1 odds.

Philip and Henry were also highly rated.

Arthur is one of Prince William’s middle names, and one of the middle names of Prince Charles, the baby’s grandfather.

The legendary fifth-century King Arthur was one of Britain’s most famous monarchs and was said to have led the Knights of the Round Table.

However, it is unlikely this child will ever become sovereign, as he will be born fifth in line to the throne.

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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge depart The Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital with Prince George on July 23, 2013. Picture: Scott Heavey/Getty Images

The child will be known as His Royal Highness Prince.

The new baby will have three or four names, and a surname or family name is not required.

Princess Charlotte’s second names are Elizabeth (the name of the Queen, William’s grandmother) and Diana (the name of William’s late mother Princess Diana).

Prince George shares his name with his great-great-grandfather King George VI (who was born Albert Frederick Arthur George but took the regnal name George after ascending the throne), while his middle names are Alexander and Louis.

Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said the couple would likely pick a name tied with a royal ancestor who was fondly remembered.

“It does tend to be the case that royals tend to choose names that have some kind of link to the royal family. Charlotte Elizabeth Diana for example, the homage there was obvious,” Mr Fitzwilliams told News Corp.

Queen Victoria is Britain’s second longest-reigning monarch, after Queen Elizabeth II. Picture: Supplied

Mr Fitzwilliams said recent films and books about Queen Victoria meant her lengthy reign (1837-1901) was now viewed more favourably, which made it more likely to be considered an option for the name, had the baby been a girl.

“Victoria and Albert are possibles because there has been an assessment or revaluation of what

they did,’’ he said before the baby was born.

“The royals often are looking to pay tribute to other members of the royal family who feel included and flattered by this.’’

However Mr Fitzwilliams said the couple would be keen to avoid names that were associated with royals who were less admired, like King John who was renowned for being a cruel leader who lost the Duchy of Normandy to France.

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“It all hinges on how the associations with the name is perceived by the general public.”

If the baby had been a girl, Mary would have been a possibility as it is one of Queen Elizabeth’s middle names, and was the name of her grandmother Mary of Teck, who became Queen Consort when she married King George V in the late 1890s.

The first Mary Queen of England was Mary I, known as Bloody Mary for burning religious dissenters at the stake in the 1500s, while Queen Mary II ruled as a joint monarch with her husband and cousin William III from 1689 to 1694.

Edward is the name of William’s uncle, Prince Edward. The last King Edward, Edward VIII, abdicated the throne in 1936 to marry his American divorcee lover Wallis Simpson.