A new biography of the Prince and Princess of Wales by Mirror royal editor Russell Myers has revealed the unusual names Prince William would joke were on the shortlist for his firstborn child
12:32, 17 Feb 2026Updated 12:56, 17 Feb 2026
Prince William voiced some unusual name choices for his firstborn son, Prince George, a new book claims(Image: Getty Images)
Prince William joked he had very unusual and un-royal names on his shortlist when it came to naming his firstborn child, it has been revealed. The Prince and Princess of Wales welcomed their first son, Prince George, in 2013, but in the months leading up to his birth, William and Kate were brainstorming names for the heir to the throne.
A new biography William and Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story , by The Mirror’s royal editor Russell Myers, reveals for the first time that William and Kate ‘spent hours’ researching names for their first child, with the Prince of Wales often coming out with very left-field suggestions.
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The Mirror’s royal editor Russell Myers has revealed how William and Kate struggled to settle on a name for their firstborn son, Prince George(Image: AP)
Drawing on exclusive access to numerous palace insiders, the explosive book offers never-before-told context about the biggest stories to have followed the Prince and Princess of Wales in recent years. One of William and Kate’s biggest moments was no doubt when they stood on the steps of St Mary’s Hospital in London and introduced their firstborn to the world.
But in the months leading up to Prince George’s arrival, the couple had a big decision to make: the name of their first child. According to the biography, as Catherine reached the five-month stage of her pregnancy, the royal couple started buying baby clothes in neutral colours, as they had agreed to keep the gender of their baby a surprise until the birth.
But according to the book, they were at odds on deciding on a name. As Myers writes: “Catherine had her heart set on Alexander for a boy or Alexandra (also Queen Elizabeth’s middle name) for a girl. William had privately voiced his preference for having a girl, and was keen to incorporate a tribute to his late mother, most likely in the form of a middle name.”
William and Kate leaving St Mary’s Hospital with newborn son Prince George in July 2013(Image: Tim Rooke/REX/Shutterstock)
The biography claims that Kate had been swapping ideas for baby names with some of her close friends who had recently had children of their own, and as they struggled to settle on a name, they were gifted a helpful tool.
“The couple had been given a book of baby names by a close friend, which they spent hours thumbing through – they often ended up in fits of laughter after one or the other had presented a more left-field suggestion,” the biography states.
According to royal sources, William would often start meetings with his press team by blurting out name suggestions such as, “What do you think about Rodney for a boy, or maybe Graham?”, pausing for his team’s stuttered response before roaring with laughter.
A new biography William and Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story , by The Mirror’s royal editor Russell Myers
Despite the unusual suggestions, it has been revealed that William, who favoured a more traditional route for his heir, eventually settled on a shortlist of two names for a boy: George and Louis.
The explosive biography also uncovers how William protected his children in the face of Kate’s cancer diagnosis, how the Prince and Prince of Wales navigated Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ’s public accusations towards the Firm, and how William rowed with his father King Charles over his disgraced uncle, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
The new revelatory biography, available to pre-order now, highlights the Prince and Princess of Wales’s life from their earliest meeting at St Andrews University to the current day and how they have shaped their vision for a modern monarchy and its safe continuation at a time of extreme change and turmoil.
Myers said of the book: “I’ve spent almost a decade following The Prince and Princess of Wales as part of the Royal pack and have always believed there’s so much more to the couple than the spectacle reveals.
“The result of this biography is a truly intimate portrait of William and Catherine; providing not just unparalleled insight into who they are as individuals, but seismic revelations about them as a couple and the world they inhabit. This biography moves beyond the headlines as it explores love, resilience, and their journey together as they navigate their public duties amid this unprecedented era.”
William and Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story, published on 26 February by Ebury, Penguin Random House, is available to pre-order now .
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