By George! History of baby's name

The name George has come to represent the continuity of the monarchy and remained the bookmakers' favourite from when Kate's pregnancy was announced.

The name George - chosen for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's baby son - is synonymous with British kings.

It's come to represent the continuity of the monarchy and remained the bookmakers' favourite in the name-guessing stakes from the moment Kate's pregnancy was announced.

Six King Georges have worn the crown throughout history since the German-born George I, the first Hanoverian king of Great Britain, acceded to the throne in 1714.

The first name of the last King George - George VI - was actually Albert and he was known to his family as Bertie, but he selected George - his fourth name - to use as Sovereign.

He was the much-loved father of the present Queen and the new Prince George of Cambridge's great-great grandfather.

George VI chose George in honour of his father George V and to create the impression of stability after the scandal caused by the abdication of his brother Edward VIII.

George is also the fourth name of the Prince of Wales - the baby's grandfather. Even Edward VIII had George among his seven names.

The name means farmer or earth worker. It was the 12th most popular name for boys born in England and Wales in 2011.

St George, a fourth-century Christian martyr, is the patron Saint of England and represents honour, bravery and gallantry. The legend of George slaying a dragon and rescuing an innocent maiden is medieval.

There has only been one other Prince of Cambridge and he was also called George.

The first Prince George of Cambridge was a grandson of George III and the only son of Prince Adolphus Frederick, the 1st Duke of Cambridge.


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Source: AAP



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