What’s in a Name?

As the matriarch of a royal dynasty, Queen Victoria was keen for the names Victoria and Albert to be passed down the generations so she pressured her children into granting her wishes. Furthermore, she often took it upon herself to decide her grandchildren’s names without consulting their parents. When Bertie and Alexandra’s first son was born, Victoria told everyone the baby boy was to be named Albert Victor before the parents were even informed.

So, how successful was Queen Victoria? Not very.

The lists show the names of Victoria and Albert’s children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren, and while the usage of the name is fairly consistent in the grandchildren and great-grandchildren, it almost disappears by the time the great-great grandchildren come along. Neither name is prevalent in the current British royal family with the exception of Princess Eugenie (Eugenie Victoria Helena), born in 1990, granddaughter of Elizabeth II (a great-great grandchild of Victoria and Albert). However, the eldest daughter of the King of Sweden, Crown Princess Victoria, the great-great-great granddaughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, will become only the second queen regnant to bear the name.

Albert (as a first name)

1. Edward VII (Albert Edward)
2. Heinrich of Prussia (Albert Wilhelm Heinrich)
3. Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence (Albert Victor Christian Edward)
4. Albert, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein (Albert John Charles Frederick Alfred George)
5. George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George)
6. Albrecht of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (Albrecht Wolfgang Christoph)

Victor and/or Albert (as middle names)

1. Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Alfred Ernest Albert)
2. Arthur, Duke of Connaught (Arthur William Patrick Albert)
3. Leopold, Duke of Albany (Leopold George Duncan Albert)
4. Wilhelm II, German Emperor (Frederick William Victor Albert)
5. George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert)
6. Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse (Ernest Louis Charles Albert William)
7. Frederick of Hesse and by Rhine (Frederick William August Victor Leopold Louis)
8. Alfred, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Alfred Alexander William Ernest Albert)
9. Christian Victor of Schleswig-Holstein (Christian Victor Albert Louis Ernst Anton)
10. Arthur of Connaught (Arthur Frederick Patrick Albert)
11. Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Leopold Charles Edward George Albert)
12. Alexander Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Carisbrooke (Alexander Albert)
13. Maurice of Battenberg (Maurice Victor Donald)
14. Wilhelm, German Crown Prince (Friedrich Wilhelm Victor August Ernst)
15. Adalbert of Prussia (Adalbert Ferdinand Berengar Viktor)
16. August Wilhelm of Prussia (August Wilhelm Heinrich Günther Viktor)
17. Waldemar of Prussia (Waldemar Wilhelm Ludwig Friedrich Viktor Heinrich)
18. Sigismund of Prussia (Wilhelm Viktor Karl August Heinrich Sigismund)
19. Heinrich of Prussia (Heinrich Viktor Ludwig Friedrich)
20. Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David)
21. Henry, Duke of Gloucester (Henry William Frederick Albert)
22. George Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven (George Louis Victor Henry Serge)
23. Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma (Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas)
24. Gottfried, 8th Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (Gottfried Hermann Alfred Paul Maximilian Viktor Fürst)
25. Johann Leopold, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Johann Leopold William Albert Ferdinand Victor)
26. Jaime of Spain (Jaime Leopoldo Isabelino Enrique Alejandro Alberto Alfonso Víctor Acacio Pedro Pablo María)
27. Louis Ferdinand, Prince of Prussia (Louis Ferdinand Victor Edward Albert Michael Hubert)
28. Wilhelm Victor of Prussia ((Wilhelm Viktor Ernst Freund Friedrich Georg Adalbert)
29. Alexander of Prussia (Alexander Ferdinand Albrecht Achilles Wilhelm Joseph Viktor Karl Feodor)
30. Christian Oscar of Hanover (Christian Oskar Ernst August Wilhelm Viktor Georg Heinrich)
31. Heinrich of Hesse-Kassel (Heinrich Wilhelm Konstantin Viktor Franz)
32. Peter Viktor of Leiningen (Peter Viktor)
33. Hans Albrecht Schleswig-Holstein (Hans Albrecht Viktor Alexander Friedrich Ernst Gottfried August Heinrich Waldemar)
34. Alfonso, Duke of Anjou and Cádiz (Alfonso Jaime Marcelino Manuel Víctor María)
35. Gonzalo, Duke of Aquitaine (Gonzalo Víctor Alfonso José Bonifacio Antonio María y Todos los Santos)
36. Juan Carlos I of Spain (Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María)

Victoria (as a first name)

1. Victoria, Princess Royal (Victoria Adelaide Mary Louisa)
2. Charlotte of Prussia (Victoria Elizabeth Augusta Charlotte)
3. Victoria of the United Kingdom (Victoria Alexandra Olga Mary)
4. Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine (Victoria Alberta Elisabeth Mathilde Marie)
5. Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Victoria Melita)
6. Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein (Victoria Louise Sophia Augusta Amelia Helena)
7. Patricia of Connaught (Victoria Patricia Helena Elizabeth)
8. Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg (Victoria Eugenie Julia Ena)
9. Victoria Louise of Prussia (Victoria Louise Adelheid Mathilde Charlotte)
10. Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood (Victoria Alexandra Alice Mary)
11. Alice of Battenberg (Victoria Alice Elizabeth Julia Marie)
12. Victoria Marina of Prussia (Victoria Marina)
13. Victoria of Castell-Rüdenhausen (Victoria Adelaide Clementine Louise)
14. Vittoria Marone-Cinzano

Victoria and/or Alberta (as a middle name)

1. Helena of the United Kingdom (Helena Augusta Victoria)
2. Louise, Duchess of Argyll (Louisa Caroline Alberta)
3. Beatrice of the United Kingdom (Beatrice Mary Victoria Feodora)
4. Viktoria of Prussia (Friederike Amalia Wilhelmine Viktoria)
5. Louise, Princess Royal (Louise Victoria Alexandra Dagmar)
6. Maud of Wales, Queen of Norway (Maud Charlotte Mary Victoria)
7. Alix of Hesse and by Rhine (Alice Victoria Helena Louise Beatrice)
8. Marie of Hesse and by Rhine (Marie Victoria Feodora Leopoldina)
9. Marie of of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Marie Alexandra Victoria)
10. Alexandra of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Alexandra Louise Olga Victoria)
11. Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Beatrice Leopoldine Victoria)
12. Margaret of Connaught (Margaret Victoria Charlotte Augusta Norah)
13. Alice, Countess of Athlone (Alice Mary Victoria Augusta Pauline)
14. Feodora of Saxe-Meiningen (Feodora Victoria Auguste Marie Marianne)
15. Alexandra, 2nd Duchess of Fife (Alexandra Victoria Alberta Edwina Louise)
16. Maud, Countess of Southesk (Maud Alexandra Victoria Georgina Bertha)
17. Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine (Elisabeth Marie Alice Victoria)
18. Elisabeth of Romania (Elisabeth Charlotte Josephine Alexandra Victoria)
19. Marie Melita of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (Marie Melita Leopoldina Victoria Feodora Alexandra Sophie
20. Ingrid of Sweden (Ingrid Victoria Sofia Louise Margareta)
21. Lady Iris Mountbatten (Iris Victoria Beatrice Grace)
22. Maria Cristina of Spain (María Cristina Teresa Alejandra María de Guadalupe María de la Concepción Ildefonsa Victoria Eugenia
23. Cecilie of Prussia (Cecilie Viktoria Anastasia Zita Thyra Adelheid)
24. Frederica of Hanover (Friederike Luise Thyra Victoria Margarita Sophia Olga Cecilia Isabella Christa)
25. Barbara of Prussia (Barbara Irene Adelheid Viktoria Elisabeth Bathildis)
26. Patricia Edwina Victoria Knatchbull, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma (Patricia Edwina Victoria)
27. Marie Alexandra of Schleswig-Holstein (Marie Alexandra Caroline-Mathilde Viktoria Irene)
28. Margaretha of Sweden (Margaretha Désirée Victoria)
29. Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Beatrice Leopoldine Victoria)
30. Alessandra Vittoria Torlonia (Alessandra Vittoria)
31. Pilar, Duchess of Badajoz (María del Pilar Alfonsa Juana Victoria Luisa Ignacia y Todos los Santos)
32. Margarita, Duchess of Soria (Margarita María de la Victoria Esperanza Jacoba Felicidad Perpetua de Todos los Santos)