There’s nothing like an underdog surging forward at the eleventh hour to claim victory – and while we weren’t quite expecting this scenario to occur for Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry’s new Royal Baby, it looks like that’s exactly the case.
Indeed the rumour mill of possible baby names has been rife with predictions revolving around tributes and classics, with Diana, Grace and Arthur having been firm favourites.
But now, as Meghan’s due date has come – and gone – a new front-runner name has emerged out of no where, and it’s got the bookies stumped.
And unexpected or not, there’s no denying it – this one might be our favourite pick so far.
With the odds well and truly in favour on Meghan having a girl, the name Diana has taken the top spot as the expected Royal Baby name of choice for the couple – a sweet tribute to Harry’s late mother.
The beautiful name is followed up by Grace, which has odds of 6-1 according to UK betting agency Ladbrokes.
But now entering at the last minute is another stunningly simple, roll-off-the-tongue name – Allegra.
Sits nicely, doesn’t it?
According to a Ladbrokes spokesperson, the sudden popularity in the name came as a big surprise.
“It’s probably the most bizarre eleventh hour move we could’ve seen, but the money is coming in thick and fast for Allegra. We wouldn’t be surprised to see the name right up there with the frontrunners by the time the birth gets announced,” they told Vanity Fair.
The odds are in favour of a stunning new name for Baby Sussex. (Image: Getty)
And while the new name has left the betting agency “scratching their heads” as to where the title came from, there could be some very solid evidence to back up the likelihood of it being the one.
The name, which has Italian origins meaning “cheerful or joyous” is one that we can easily see being chosen by Meghan.
On her former blog, The Tig, one of Meghan’s favourite travel destinations is Italy, with the now-royal sharing a number of pictures and memories from her time there on the now defunct website.
What’s more, The Express has also claimed Diana herself is a fan of the name, having once told a friend of hers that she liked it.
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Latest reports have also suggested Meghan and Harry might throw a non-traditional curve-ball in naming Baby Sussex, with respected royal reporter Omid Scobie telling Good Morning America that he wouldn’t be surprised if the Sussexes chose a name to reflect their “modernity.”
Meanwhile UK royal correspondent Emily Nash also believes the couple might choose a name that speaks to Meghan’s African American heritage.
“There’s no reason for them not to go for something a little bit out there,” she told Seven News Brisbane.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if they perhaps decide to honour a big figure in African-American culture, for example.”
It’s expected that Meghan and Harry might opt for a non-traditional name for Baby Sussex. (Image: Getty)
Meanwhile earlier this week, clues around names for a baby boy emerged after the royal family’s website reserved URLs for the names ‘Prince Alexander’, a ‘Prince Arthur’, and a ‘Prince James’.
The news sent fans into overdrive, believing that the palace might have revealed the name and gender of the royal baby accidentally.
However, we should take it with a grain of salt, with a palace spokesperson telling The Daily Star: “A large number of search term redirects were set up some time ago on royal.uk. This was in order to improve user experience.”
That being said, we can’t help but delight in the fact that every one of these potential names sound perfect – Meghan and Harry have a solid pool to choose from should they require any inspiration!
