Archie! It doesn’t sound like a name for a potential future prince.
Archie is an approachable, nicknamey, old-school sort of name. Guys like Archie don’t usually live in a palace. Archie is the buddy you go bowling with.
The world is still processing Prince Harry and Meghan’s bold decision to name their first child Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.
The newest royal bears no traditional given name, like his cousins George and Louis. Archie isn’t even short for Archibald, a really old-school name. His formal, official given name is just … Archie.
In America, at least, the name Archie conjures images of red-headed high-schoolers, football stars and irascible, bigoted old New Yorkers. But it’s becoming trendy in England. And it’s not just for boys.
The name is reminding people of the comics character
Archie Comics memes have been flying on Twitter since Wednesday morning, with some people noting the red-haired Archie Andrews character’s superficial resemblance to Prince Harry.
The comics franchise, which dates to 1941, even seems excited to share the name with the royal baby.
So does “Riverdale,” the TV series based on the Archie comics, whose live-action Archie is a little dreamier than the animated version. “Proud to be Archie,” the show tweeted Wednesday afternoon alongside baby and crown emojis.
No word yet from Betty and Veronica.
The name has been rising in popularity in the UK
Traditionally, Archie is short for the old-fashioned name Archibald. But over the years people have dropped a syllable and turned Archie into its own first name.
It’s largely gone out of vogue in America. Archie was not among the top 1,000 baby names for any year of birth since at least 2000, according to the US Social Security Administration, though that may change after Harry and Meghan’s announcement.
But as the name Archie declined in usage in the US, it’s become increasingly common across the pond.
In the UK, Archie is now rather fashionable: The name went from being ranked around 80-something in popularity in 2000 to about 20th in 2015, according to the UK Office for National Statistics.
Some other famous Archies
Archie Bunker: The gruff, sometimes racist character from the hit 1970s American sitcom “All in the Family.”
Archie Griffin: A former NFL running back and Ohio State star who remains college football’s only two-time Heisman Trophy winner.
Archie Manning: A former NFL quarterback who is best known now as the father of NFL stars Peyton and Eli Manning.
Archie Moore: An American boxer who is the longest-reigning light heavyweight world champion of all time.
Archie Panjabi: The name isn’t only for boys! Panjabi is a British actress known for her role as Kalinda Sharma on “The Good Wife,” which earned her an Emmy.
Archibald Cox Jr.: An American lawyer who became a special prosecutor during the Watergate scandal. Not sure if many people called him “Archie,” though.