Royal baby: Archie to become one of the most popular baby names in UK by 2022

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their son's name on Wednesday

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On Wednesday afternoon the Duke and Duchess of Sussex revealed they’d named their newborn son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, prompting worldwide headlines and a flurry of trending hashtags across social media.

And it turns out that the trends may translate into real life, as new research predicts that Archie is likely to be one of the most popular names in the UK by 2022, which is when the royal infant is expected to start pre-school. By 2025, it could be the number one name in the nation.

The research was conducted by Ancestry, global leader in family history and consumer genomics, which compared historic census records on its site along with data from the Office of National Statistics.

Unsurprisingly, the company found that royal baby names continue to have a significant influence on the nation’s most popular monikers.

Following the birth of Prince George, for example, in 2013, the royal's name rose seven places in terms of popularity in the following four years while Charlotte jumped 13 places in two years after the Princess’s birth in 2015.

Ancestry also looked at birth registers for its research, and found that the popularity of William as a name rose by 88 per cent in the 10 years following the Duke of Cambridge’s birth. Meanwhile, the name Harry surged by 592 per cent in popularity in the UK after the Duke of Sussex’s birth.

The data found similar trajectories dating even further back, revealing that when Queen Victoria’s children were born in the 1800s, each name increased in popularity by roughly 100 per cent.

Princess Helena and Beatrice saw the biggest growth in terms of names, with the former rising by 165 per cent in the years between 1841 and 1851 thanks to the royal baby’s birth.

Beatrice increased by 136 per cent in the decade following her birth in 1857.

Ancestry spokesperson Russell James said of the research: “It’s amazing to see how much these historic records shine a light on the royal family’s enduring influence on the nation.

“In addition, these findings show how much the royals borrow from their own family history when choosing names for their children, a tradition we’ve seen inspire millions of people globally to explore their own family histories.”

Since the news broke that Harry and Meghan had chosen to name their son Archie, hundreds of people with the same name have been reacting on social media.

Some Archies were pleased to feel included in the royal family's decision, others were not. "I’m legally changing my name," teased one disgruntled Archie on Twitter.