Royal baby name - the bets are on!

Will the soon-to-be-born royal baby be named Alexandra? Find out here!

If British betting firm Coral’s current odds were anything to go on, then Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton can rest easy because their soon-to-be-born royal baby’s name choice is settled with the winner’s wand pointing towards ‘Alexandra’. What are we talking about–betting on baby’s name?

Well, with the princess approaching her final trimester, all the fuss has turned towards the upcoming arrival of the newborn as the latest addition to Britain’s royal lineage. And what better way to celebrate the excitement than trying to guess what the child will be called. Also, it is tradition that the sex of royal babies is withheld until after birth.

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All bets are on!

However, there has been wild speculation that Will and Kate are expecting a baby girl–information the princess may have let slip during a public engagement in March. That coupled with bookmakers recently starting a bet on what the future monarch’s name would be, according to reports, has created a betting surge on Alexandra, with Elizabeth, Diana and Victoria close behind.

Coral has moved to slash the odds on the royal baby’s name from 25-1 to 2-1 following a sudden influx of bets on that particular name. The brand’s spokesman, Simon Clare said the company had taken 10,000 bets on various names but he was surprised to see about 2,000 pounds ($3,080) in bets on Alexandra in just hours.

Truth or trick?

Incidentally, Coral had suspended bets on the baby being a girl. Competitors William Hill and Ladbrokes also have Alexandra as the 2-1 favourite. Regardless of the hype, have these bets completely missed the mark or are they on track? Well, let’s see what one expert had to say on how the betting is going so far.

Quoted by the Huffington Post, historian Carolyn Harris says: “Royal names tend to be based on previous monarchs, relatives and godparents to ensure continuity.” Harris lectures at the University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies. She explained further that the names are not generally something out of the blue. It will be something that fits into the royal lineage, names used by previous kings and queens.

In fact, it appears the bet might actually stick—Alexandra was the name of Queen Elizabeth II’s great-grandmother, a Danish princess who married Edward VII. Interestingly, the queen’s (Elizabeth) full name itself includes Alexandra and Mary, her grandmother. With that said, all that’s left to do really is to wait and see.

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Picking a name for your baby should be a fun mum-and-dad effort!

Picking baby names

For most mums and dads, this aspect of the parenthood is always most exciting. In a way, picking a name is the first thing they get to decide on together when it comes to their much-awaited newborn—a cherished effort, it invokes a sense of deep warmth and intrinsic connection with the baby on the way. While some wait until after birth to decide what the winning vote is, one too many couples, especially gleeful and glowing mums start their lists as early as the first few weeks and as time goes by, that list could either get longer or shorter.

Getting the list going

How about you—would you start a betting pool to decide on a name for baby or do you believe in the personal touch? In certain cases, the list begins and ends with definitive knowledge of the sex of the child. Once the surprise is out, the list then can be narrowed down to either names for baby girls or boys.

While this rule isn’t quite written in stone, some couples find that it helps ease the stress—what with so much already going on, who needs the added pressure, right? Going down this route might seem highly sensible, but there are parents who actually welcome the process of filling up two columns on the same piece of paper because they find it soothing, fun and delightful.

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There’s no right or wrong answer

These are usually parents who don’t yet know whether it’s a boy or girl and want to wait to find out. The thrill for this group rests in the surprise. Truth is–there’s no right or wrong answer to how you should go about picking your baby’s name or names if you’re expecting twins.

Plus, there are plenty of books to help you with choices, not to mention online name banks or resources to point in the right direction. Or talk to your friends and family for inspiration. Most importantly, make it a fun exercise—something you and hubby-buddy can enjoy as parents or parents-to-be. Just remember: whichever name you choose, your child is going to be stuck with it for the rest of his or her life. So, make it count—no pressure! We’ll be betting on that!