Prince Harry and Meghan will probably use one of these five royal baby names

The countdown is on for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to welcome their first child in late April or early May, so the bets are heating up as to which royal baby names they're likely to use. In fact, it's been reported that more people are wagering money on this little one's moniker than all of the Cambridge kids combined!

The former actress once said on her now-shuttered blog, The Tig, that Grey is a personal favourite, which could work for a boy or a girl. The royals haven’t found out the sex of their little one, or at least that’s what they’ve told the public, so all names are on the table.

But as one of the UK’s favourite sports—betting on royal baby names—reaches a fever pitch, a more traditional group of monikers are leading the charge. And the odds will continue to change up until the name is announced, likely a few days after Baby Sussex makes his or her (as many believe) official debut.

So what are the top contenders?

Elizabeth:

A flurry of new votes poured in for Elizabeth in early April, putting a tribute to the Queen in the top slot at bookmakers Ladbrokes and Coral. "We've been bowled over by this gamble and out of absolutely nowhere Elizabeth is the new favourite to be the name of Harry and Meghan's first child," explained Coral’s Harry Aitkenhead. "Royal punters are betting in their droves and they're clearly convinced that they know a baby Elizabeth is on the way."

Diana:

A firm favourite, the name of Prince Harry’s late mom has led the bets at Ladbrokes, Paddy Power, Betfair and Sportsbet. Diana is already a familiar moniker for this generation of young royals, as Prince William and Kate chose to honour his mom with one of their daughter’s middle names, which also includes—you guessed it!— Elizabeth (her full name is Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana).

Grace:

It’s not hard to see why this name would be so appropriate for the former long-distance lovebirds—Grace Kelly was also an American Actress who crossed the globe to marry royalty, moving to Monaco to wed Prince Rainier III and become Princess Grace. Bookies at Ladbrokes, Paddy Power, Betfair and Sportsbet all have Grace among their top bets.

Arthur:

A middle name of Prince Louis, Prince William and Prince Charles, Arthur means noble and courageous, and has a mythical connection that we’d bet Harry and Meghan love. You may recall the feat of British legend King Arthur, who defended the country against the Saxons after pulling the sword Excalibur from a stone, proving his true claim to the throne. Ladbrokes, Paddy Power, William Hill, Betfair and Sportspet are all offering the best odds on Arthur, which is also what Duchess Kate’s sister, Pippa, named her firstborn. Too soon to use again?

James:

When Prince Louis was born, Coral saw a last-minute flurry of bets on the name James, so perhaps the moniker will get its day in the limelight come Baby Sussex. Now it's on the list once again at Ladbrokes, Paddy Power, William Hill, Betfair and Sportsbet. Both England and Scotland have seen numerous rulers named James, and it’s also the name of Prince William’s little cousin (Viscount James Severn, the son of his uncle, Prince Edward).

Other contenders include Lily, Alice and Victoria for girls and Phillip, Edward and Albert for boys. And royal fans have guesses of their own, with a recent Hello! Canada poll also showing Diana in the lead (21%) among 1,400 voters, followed by Lily and Victoria. Alexander topped the boy votes.

While we can see the Sussexes honouring close family members like the Queen or Princess Diana, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they combined these traditional monikers with a less-expected first name.

We’d also love to see the couple break from royal convention by shirking gender norms to give their daughter one of the boy’s names, like James. Now there’s a thoroughly modern tribute!

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