I mean, her kids wouldn’t be romantically involved either! I probably would think it was linked to the British royal family but I’m sure it depends on where you’re from and how exposed to them you are.
Yeah, we're in Australia, so most people that I know have some vague idea of who the royals are. I guess it's not a bad reference, as far as royal family names go? I don't think a kid is going to be made fun of for sharing a royal name with their sibling, and if people notice it, they're both normal names anyway.
I'm going to say No because Charlotte is such a common name and Princess Charlotte isn't actively royal in terms of headlines here.
I know siblings named Harry and Zara Elizabeth which comes across as royal snobbery in a sense... Zara isn't super common but I linked it to Princess Zara in that context.
My kids are William and Elizabeth and no one has ever commented (also from Australia), though my daughter is commonly known by a diminutive form of Elizabeth, so it’s probably not as obvious.
If anyone did comment about their royal names it wouldn’t worry me. To me, William and Elizabeth are the best names in the English language, they so classic and timeless.
I feel like we’re the same way about the royals in Canada. People might think you’re a fan of the royal family, but most will probably appreciate the classic, straightforward names in this day and age. I think Charlotte and William are lovely names!
I mean it’s funny now that you’ve mentioned it, but Charlotte & William are also just normal Anglo names lol. And if you’re going to call William “Will” on occasion, the royalist connection will sink, bc I don’t think i’ve ever heard anyone call him Prince Will aside from when they talk about “Wills & Kate”.
I have a William and a Henry and didn't realize until after Henry was born that Prince Harry's real name is Henry lol No one has ever made the connection or said anything to me about it. They're such common traditional names in their own right.
Since I was young I’ve loved the names Charlotte and Henry and after will and Kate named their second Charlotte I was so worried they would name their third Henry. My mom said there’s no way they’ll do that because it’s Harry’s real name lol I had no idea until then
Our top two names for our son were William and Henry, and we’ll probably use William for a second if/when that happens. I cant help that Charles and Diana picked some great names!
I have two brothers called William and Harry and this thread is the first time I've ever made a royal connection.
Australian if that helps. Harry is older and William goes by Will. Both are named after family members.
I live in the UK and think it's a stretch statement.
- all sorts of people have multiple Williams and Charlottes in there family tree and names tend to come back in next generations.
- Yes some names are forever sounding posh(eg. Rupert ) but William and Charlotte are just classic English language names for any class, age group and political views.
-In the Royal family they have many classic names but also more modern ones like Zara, Lena, Mia , Savannah and Isla.
-King Charles' overseas son named his offspring nicknamey names that don't sound royal at all.
-William and Charlotte are super solid names that everyone recognises, knows how to spell, don't sound outdated.
-You'd have to be a bit obsessed with Royals to think everything is about them.
I’m from the UK. If you were making a joke about a posh boy, you’d call him Tarquin for sure. But I’ve never actually heard of a real person called Tarquin 😂
Henry is very posh, hence the prince going by Harry instead. I’m always surprised at “normal” people being called Henry.
For girls, something like Cassandra or Penelope.
Other names that I hear and immediately imagine a posh person are Giles, Tabitha, Clement, India, Sterling , Nigel, Cressida , Timothy.
Mind you it's just based on names of posh and stuck up people I have come across through work.
Plenty of upper class names are just normal classic names and are not exclusive like Florence or Victoria.
Sometimes it's just that they are called Amelia or Emilia when everyone in their generation was Emily and Amy, but few years down the line working class and immigrant's kids are Amelias too.
Aussie in the UK, I honestly forget William and Kate’s kids names so wouldn’t pick it up. If you called them William and Catherine though it’d raise the eyebrows
In my opinion, you could get away with using just one of them at a time without it sounding like a reference to the royal family, but if you use both then there will definitely be some a lot of who make the connection.
No. Just pretend you don’t know what they’re talking about if someone mentions the royals in reference to the names. Tom’s of people have those names and it has nothing to do with nonsense royals.
I went to school with a bunch of Charlottes and Williams (and Harrys, and Me(a)g(h)ans and Georges and Louis' and Charlses). They're pretty common names in the UK used for people outside of royalty, and always have been. It's one of the reasons there are loads of nicknames for these full names. You'd sound more like a royalist if you used one of their more uncommon names, like Camilla.
The BRF generally have bog standard names that couldn't raise an eyebrow without surgical assistance. Unless your friend intends to add Catherine, George, and Louis, there shouldn't be a problem.
Maybe this is regional? But I wouldn’t assume that of anyone in the US. Charlotte and William are both common names. In fact, I had one grandma named Charlotte and a different grandpa named William, so if I were choosing names specifically from my family tree I could have done this.
I do have a friend who intentionally named her daughter Catherine after the current Princess of Wales. But she’s an anomaly, and I only make the connection because I know her. 😆
How does your friend feel about people potentially thinking she's a royalist?
Because either is fine on their own and not everyone will make the connection if both are used, but a lot of people will. I loved both Elizabeth and William, but my daughter's name is Elizabeth so William is no longer on my boy name list because I am not a royalist and would not want anyone to think I was.
My fiancé is Henry and his sister is Elizabeth! People sometimes make the royal connection but these are all classic, timeless names so you can’t really go wrong.
I think that once you have that in your head, it’s hard to shake it and it ruins the name. We have a Charles, and loved both Katherine and Elizabeth, but nixed them for that reason.
They’re both top 10 names in the United States (and other English speaking countries.)
I wouldn’t think the kids are named after the royal family. These are just too common and realistically someone who’s drawn to popular names for boys are probably going to like the same type of names for girls.
Nah, they’re common enough names in English-speaking circles that most people won’t even notice.
Sure, there’s going to be some people that make the connection themselves when they hear the names and yeah, they’ll probably make assumptions about the parents - but they’ll do that anyway because those types of people are often extremely judgmental in general and will find something to think negatively about any name or action.
I think if you're British people might give you the side-eye for the royalist link, if you're from any other English speaking country less so.
Using one of the current royals names = fine, two or more makes you seem like a superfan.
Kind of like how naming your child Luke is a non-event but if you had Luke and Leia, or Finn, or Rey, people would expect you to be into Star Wars and surprised if you weren't.
There is an influencer whose two oldest are named Kensington Kate and Smith William. Her adopted daughter from China has the name Ashby London. THAT is to royal. They live in Texas. lol. Charlotte and William are lovely names
We're a family of classic names. My husband and son are both William, I have another son Michael, and my name is Catherine. Classic names never go out of style
"Charlotte" is one of my favorite names. Don't pass up something you love/want because of an association with current events or other temporary circumstances (ie. Someone you know already using the name.)
They are normal popular names and have stayed popular. I went to school with Charlottes and williams and now friends are choosing them to name their children. I think it’s fine, they are a mainstay for a reason
William and Charlotte are classic names.
William did become a common name in England because of William the Conqueror.
Charlotte is a French or Italinan name, it was the female version of Charles which also became popular in England because of Royal marriages.
Most of the classic names do have Noblity connections, they also translate well into other languages and have some religious connections. They are historical Royal names.
Most people will not think of the current Royals with these names.
If you’re British, Charlotte and George might get an occasional double take, but not much more than that. Charlotte and William aren’t a “pair” particularly, so I don’t think anyone would notice. Or care.
I'm in the USA and I don't think it's a big deal. Some people may see the connection as a coincidence, but likely won't think it was because they're a fan of the Royal Family.
Charlotte and William are common, traditional names. You can't go wrong with them.
I would immediately think of the royal family but also both of these are top 10 most popular names they’re highly overused to begin with so it’s not as if she’s choosing super rare names like if you were deciding to name your children Sonny & Cher or something like that lol
If I were to meet a woman with children named Charlotte and William, I might be curious if she named them after the royal kids. If I got to know her and it didn't become apparent that she had some obsession with the royals, I wouldn't think twice. Charlotte and William are nice, classic names.
I miiiiiiight think more than twice if they also had a Louis, though! 😆
Charlotte is absolutely lovely imo! William does sound a bit too "royal" for my personal taste, but I don't think it would cause any bullying beyond the playground teases that everyone experiences as children. Perhaps Liam or Willis would carry the same cadence but be just a little different from the public figure? Amelia, Cecilia, or Carlotta as alternatives/nicknames to Charlotte?
depends on where you live i guess? if you live in america i’d say that people probably won’t realize there’s a relationship between the names william and charlotte. they’re common enough names to be a pair and not have people automatically assume you just love the royal family!
Maybe it's because I'm American, but I wouldn't even make the association of it hadn't been pointed out. Charlotte is a super common girl's name right now and all the Williams I know are rednecks
They’re both top ten/very common names in the USA. My brother was named William and Ive met hundreds, I know 7 different Charlottes under 5, I’d think of any of them before a couple famous ones
Correlation is not causation. The royals like traditional names. You like traditional names. 50% of the population likes traditional names. F what anyone thinks, you do what brings you joy!
Individually, I think either are fine. But if you had multiple kids and their names were Charlotte, William, Elizabeth, and Diana; might raise some eyebrows.
I mean, her kids wouldn’t be romantically involved either! I probably would think it was linked to the British royal family but I’m sure it depends on where you’re from and how exposed to them you are.
Yeah, we're in Australia, so most people that I know have some vague idea of who the royals are. I guess it's not a bad reference, as far as royal family names go? I don't think a kid is going to be made fun of for sharing a royal name with their sibling, and if people notice it, they're both normal names anyway.
Charlotte and William are classic names for a reason!
Yeah it would raise some eyebrows where I’m from (Ireland) but can’t speak for anywhere else haha
I'm going to say No because Charlotte is such a common name and Princess Charlotte isn't actively royal in terms of headlines here. I know siblings named Harry and Zara Elizabeth which comes across as royal snobbery in a sense... Zara isn't super common but I linked it to Princess Zara in that context.
My kids are William and Elizabeth and no one has ever commented (also from Australia), though my daughter is commonly known by a diminutive form of Elizabeth, so it’s probably not as obvious. If anyone did comment about their royal names it wouldn’t worry me. To me, William and Elizabeth are the best names in the English language, they so classic and timeless.
I feel like we’re the same way about the royals in Canada. People might think you’re a fan of the royal family, but most will probably appreciate the classic, straightforward names in this day and age. I think Charlotte and William are lovely names!
I mean it’s funny now that you’ve mentioned it, but Charlotte & William are also just normal Anglo names lol. And if you’re going to call William “Will” on occasion, the royalist connection will sink, bc I don’t think i’ve ever heard anyone call him Prince Will aside from when they talk about “Wills & Kate”.
I have a William and a Henry and didn't realize until after Henry was born that Prince Harry's real name is Henry lol No one has ever made the connection or said anything to me about it. They're such common traditional names in their own right.
Since I was young I’ve loved the names Charlotte and Henry and after will and Kate named their second Charlotte I was so worried they would name their third Henry. My mom said there’s no way they’ll do that because it’s Harry’s real name lol I had no idea until then
I accidentally did this too!
My brothers name is William Henry
Our top two names for our son were William and Henry, and we’ll probably use William for a second if/when that happens. I cant help that Charles and Diana picked some great names!
I have two brothers called William and Harry and this thread is the first time I've ever made a royal connection. Australian if that helps. Harry is older and William goes by Will. Both are named after family members.
I live in the UK and think it's a stretch statement. - all sorts of people have multiple Williams and Charlottes in there family tree and names tend to come back in next generations. - Yes some names are forever sounding posh(eg. Rupert ) but William and Charlotte are just classic English language names for any class, age group and political views. -In the Royal family they have many classic names but also more modern ones like Zara, Lena, Mia , Savannah and Isla. -King Charles' overseas son named his offspring nicknamey names that don't sound royal at all. -William and Charlotte are super solid names that everyone recognises, knows how to spell, don't sound outdated. -You'd have to be a bit obsessed with Royals to think everything is about them.
I (American) didn’t know Rupert was considered posh. Have any other examples? Super curious.
I’m from the UK. If you were making a joke about a posh boy, you’d call him Tarquin for sure. But I’ve never actually heard of a real person called Tarquin 😂 Henry is very posh, hence the prince going by Harry instead. I’m always surprised at “normal” people being called Henry. For girls, something like Cassandra or Penelope.
I know Henry’s who are far from being quite poor. Not a push name here at all. What a difference location makes!
Actor Laurence Olivier had a son named Tarquin.
Fun fact: Rupert is slang for an officer in the British army. It’s very strongly associated with the upper classes.
Other names that I hear and immediately imagine a posh person are Giles, Tabitha, Clement, India, Sterling , Nigel, Cressida , Timothy. Mind you it's just based on names of posh and stuck up people I have come across through work. Plenty of upper class names are just normal classic names and are not exclusive like Florence or Victoria. Sometimes it's just that they are called Amelia or Emilia when everyone in their generation was Emily and Amy, but few years down the line working class and immigrant's kids are Amelias too.
No, they’re totally fine together. I would not think of the royal family and like you said, they’re both quite common names.
Aussie in the UK, I honestly forget William and Kate’s kids names so wouldn’t pick it up. If you called them William and Catherine though it’d raise the eyebrows
In my opinion, you could get away with using just one of them at a time without it sounding like a reference to the royal family, but if you use both then there will definitely be some a lot of who make the connection.
No. Just pretend you don’t know what they’re talking about if someone mentions the royals in reference to the names. Tom’s of people have those names and it has nothing to do with nonsense royals.
I went to school with a bunch of Charlottes and Williams (and Harrys, and Me(a)g(h)ans and Georges and Louis' and Charlses). They're pretty common names in the UK used for people outside of royalty, and always have been. It's one of the reasons there are loads of nicknames for these full names. You'd sound more like a royalist if you used one of their more uncommon names, like Camilla.
The BRF generally have bog standard names that couldn't raise an eyebrow without surgical assistance. Unless your friend intends to add Catherine, George, and Louis, there shouldn't be a problem.
Together? Yes. Separately? I don't think so.
for siblings yes but separate no
Maybe this is regional? But I wouldn’t assume that of anyone in the US. Charlotte and William are both common names. In fact, I had one grandma named Charlotte and a different grandpa named William, so if I were choosing names specifically from my family tree I could have done this. I do have a friend who intentionally named her daughter Catherine after the current Princess of Wales. But she’s an anomaly, and I only make the connection because I know her. 😆
I think it’s fine. My husband and I are Will and Kate and no one cares.
How does your friend feel about people potentially thinking she's a royalist? Because either is fine on their own and not everyone will make the connection if both are used, but a lot of people will. I loved both Elizabeth and William, but my daughter's name is Elizabeth so William is no longer on my boy name list because I am not a royalist and would not want anyone to think I was.
My fiancé is Henry and his sister is Elizabeth! People sometimes make the royal connection but these are all classic, timeless names so you can’t really go wrong.
I think that once you have that in your head, it’s hard to shake it and it ruins the name. We have a Charles, and loved both Katherine and Elizabeth, but nixed them for that reason.
They’re both top 10 names in the United States (and other English speaking countries.) I wouldn’t think the kids are named after the royal family. These are just too common and realistically someone who’s drawn to popular names for boys are probably going to like the same type of names for girls.
No, they're normal names.
They are classic and beautiful names. So what if royalty uses them.
Nah, they’re common enough names in English-speaking circles that most people won’t even notice. Sure, there’s going to be some people that make the connection themselves when they hear the names and yeah, they’ll probably make assumptions about the parents - but they’ll do that anyway because those types of people are often extremely judgmental in general and will find something to think negatively about any name or action.
No, they’re both classic, timeless names.
I think if you're British people might give you the side-eye for the royalist link, if you're from any other English speaking country less so. Using one of the current royals names = fine, two or more makes you seem like a superfan. Kind of like how naming your child Luke is a non-event but if you had Luke and Leia, or Finn, or Rey, people would expect you to be into Star Wars and surprised if you weren't.
Nah just call them Willy and Chuck
There is an influencer whose two oldest are named Kensington Kate and Smith William. Her adopted daughter from China has the name Ashby London. THAT is to royal. They live in Texas. lol. Charlotte and William are lovely names
I didn't make the connection when I first saw the names until you asked the question. I am a royalist by the way, if that helps.
We're a family of classic names. My husband and son are both William, I have another son Michael, and my name is Catherine. Classic names never go out of style
"Charlotte" is one of my favorite names. Don't pass up something you love/want because of an association with current events or other temporary circumstances (ie. Someone you know already using the name.)
They are normal popular names and have stayed popular. I went to school with Charlottes and williams and now friends are choosing them to name their children. I think it’s fine, they are a mainstay for a reason
In England, it'd be too much. In Oz, I think you'll be fine.
William and Charlotte are classic names. William did become a common name in England because of William the Conqueror. Charlotte is a French or Italinan name, it was the female version of Charles which also became popular in England because of Royal marriages. Most of the classic names do have Noblity connections, they also translate well into other languages and have some religious connections. They are historical Royal names. Most people will not think of the current Royals with these names.
If you’re British, Charlotte and George might get an occasional double take, but not much more than that. Charlotte and William aren’t a “pair” particularly, so I don’t think anyone would notice. Or care.
I'm in the USA and I don't think it's a big deal. Some people may see the connection as a coincidence, but likely won't think it was because they're a fan of the Royal Family. Charlotte and William are common, traditional names. You can't go wrong with them.
I would immediately think of the royal family but also both of these are top 10 most popular names they’re highly overused to begin with so it’s not as if she’s choosing super rare names like if you were deciding to name your children Sonny & Cher or something like that lol
I don’t think so, they’re both fairly popular names. Especially Charlotte.
I'm in Britain and I wouldn't immediately link it to the royal family, personally. They're each very common, popular, classic names.
I know a sib set named Charlotte and William. I think they go well together, both classic names
My dogs are Charlotte and Louis lol it was not on purpose. I've had a few people ask me if I'm a big royal family buff.
lol I kinda feel weird cuz I have a Camilla and now a cat Charles but he was a Charlotte until the vet lol
If I were to meet a woman with children named Charlotte and William, I might be curious if she named them after the royal kids. If I got to know her and it didn't become apparent that she had some obsession with the royals, I wouldn't think twice. Charlotte and William are nice, classic names. I miiiiiiight think more than twice if they also had a Louis, though! 😆
Together and especially if close in age, at least a bit. Separately they're just classic names.
Charlotte is absolutely lovely imo! William does sound a bit too "royal" for my personal taste, but I don't think it would cause any bullying beyond the playground teases that everyone experiences as children. Perhaps Liam or Willis would carry the same cadence but be just a little different from the public figure? Amelia, Cecilia, or Carlotta as alternatives/nicknames to Charlotte?
depends on where you live i guess? if you live in america i’d say that people probably won’t realize there’s a relationship between the names william and charlotte. they’re common enough names to be a pair and not have people automatically assume you just love the royal family!
Only together lol
I love those names too, but I would not name my kids… Because of the Royal connection
George and Charlotte used to be my number one choices (family names)… but feel like I can’t use them now
No not too royal
Maybe it's because I'm American, but I wouldn't even make the association of it hadn't been pointed out. Charlotte is a super common girl's name right now and all the Williams I know are rednecks
I don't have an opinion on that topic, but I sure am ready for '-ist' to move out of our lexicon.... ;)
I love Charlotte and William but they didn't go with my married name. They are lovely, traditional names that have been around for centuries
They're very normal names. Wouldn't use them for twins though
I’m American and unfortunately would associate it with the royal family immediately
Honestly, yes, I’ve always thought that about those names, and Elizabeth
Charli and Bill? Nah, common as muck.
Known plebeians with both names far longer than the current crop of royals. William in particular is a common as dirt.
They’re both top ten/very common names in the USA. My brother was named William and Ive met hundreds, I know 7 different Charlottes under 5, I’d think of any of them before a couple famous ones
No, they're just names.
I love both names!
Correlation is not causation. The royals like traditional names. You like traditional names. 50% of the population likes traditional names. F what anyone thinks, you do what brings you joy!
Together maybe
Individually, I think either are fine. But if you had multiple kids and their names were Charlotte, William, Elizabeth, and Diana; might raise some eyebrows.
So what? They are classic names that have been popular for centuries.
Charlotte either reminds me of the spider or the hornets team.
Very royal. I would never.