Meghan Markle, Prince Harry Baby Girl Name Prediction: What's The Favorite?

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are expecting their second child, and royal watchers have already started betting on what their baby's name will be.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced in their CBS interview with Oprah Winfrey last month that they are having a girl this time around, due this summer. As for the baby girl's name, the favorite in most betting companies in the U.K. is Diana, with 5-1 odds on the Coral platform, 4-1 on Betfair and Paddy Power and 3-1 on Betway and William Hill, according to Oddschecker.com.

“Diana is the clear favorite in our market now, ever since Harry and Meghan confirmed that they could be having a baby girl,” Coral spokesperson Harry Aitkenhead was quoted by HuffPost as saying in March. "We are convinced it will feature somewhere in the name, going 5-1 that it is the new arrival’s first name."

However, Page Six reported last month that royal insiders doubt that the couple would name their baby girl after her late grandmother.

"They are highly unlikely to call their daughter Diana. Their biggest concern is that it would make her a bigger target for the media, and considerably increase public interest in the child’s life," an unnamed source told the outlet. "Whatever anybody thinks, Harry and Meghan do value their privacy and want to shield their children from the intense media pressure they have endured."

It's been suggested that the Sussexes could make Diana their baby girl's middle name just like Prince William and Kate Middleton's daughter, Princess Charlotte, whose full name is Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, the report added.

Meanwhile, the other popular bets include Elizabeth, Grace, Emma, Greta, Molly, Isabella, Emily and Victoria. Other names at the lower-odds end of the spectrum include the name of Markle's mom, Doria, and those of celebrities and public figures like Oprah, Kamala, Camilla and Ivanka.

Most had been surprised when Prince Harry and Markle named their firstborn Archie Harrison. Archie does not have any British royal connotations, and Harrison is also a totally new name for the royal family, according to Majesty magazine managing editor Joe Little.

"I don't think anyone of us saw either of these names coming," Little was quoted by BBC News as saying in 2019.

According to royal experts, the royals follow a protocol when it comes to naming their children. Also, they usually delay the announcement to inform the members of the monarchy.

"On one hand there's a desire to inform the families before a public declaration is made and any new parent appreciates having a little private time to get to know their new addition before the onslaught of announcements," royal commentator Victoria Arbiter said.

"Royals, however, also have to consider the great responsibility in naming a new member of the family and I expect they want to be a hundred percent certain of their choice before announcing the name and sealing the baby’s place in history," she continued.

It remains unknown if the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will still follow protocol since they are no longer working royals and are already based in California.