Psychotherapist weighs in on Meghan Markle's shock baby naming advice

Daily Mail​

29-05-2025

This week, Meghan Markle shared a stark warning about choosing baby names - and now, experts are weighing in on the various mistakes that parents make when settling on the big decision.
Meghan, who shares two children with Prince Harry - son Archie Harrison, six, and daughter Lilibet Diana, three - gave her thoughts on the matter during the season finale of her Lemonada Media podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder.
The episode was in conversation with Spanx founder Sara Blakely, as they spoke about being business owners and balancing motherhood at the same time.
During the finale, the topic of naming a company came up, as Meghan lamented that the beginning of a business was like starting a 'SurveyMonkey,' in trying to get everyone's thoughts on the venture - including about the name.
'It's no different, and I will say this to every woman in the world or every person in the world who's going to have a child, if you have an idea about what you are going to name that baby, you keep it so close to your heart, until that baby is born and it's named,' Meghan said.
'Don't ask anyone's opinion,' she added.
And, according to New York-based psychotherapist Brianna Paruolo, Meghan could be onto something.
The expert has since shared with DailyMail.com that it's important for parents-to-be to make sure that they are protecting the emotional space that they are in.
'It's no different, and I will say this to every woman in the world or every person in the world who's going to have a child, if you have an idea about what you are going to name that baby, you keep it so close to your heart, until that baby is born and it's named,' Meghan said
'When we share deeply personal decisions, especially in such a vulnerable time, we are inviting others into our intimate emotional space,' Paruolo told DailyMail.com exclusively.
'Behind a name choice lies hopes, dreams and connection forming between parent and child. Sharing with this others can be a beautiful moment, but for many it opens them up to criticism and judgement,' she explained.
'Well-meaning family and friends will project their own preferences onto our choices, which can create anxiety and uncertainty for the expecting parents.'
Similar to Meghan's advice, Paruolo wants future parents to think about naming their baby as an 'intention' rather than an 'obligation.'
'Think about how the name feels when you say it with love, correction, or celebration. The "right" name is one that resonates authentically with you as parents, not one that satisfies everyone else's expectations,' Paruolo shared.
It's also important to think about what your boundaries will be when its comes to sharing the name with others.
'The conversation around boundary-setting also becomes crucial,' the psychotherapist said.
'Think of this as an introduction into what boundaries you would like to set moving forward as you enter a new stage of parenthood. If there is pushback, a helpful response might be: "We appreciate that you care about our family, and we've chosen a name that feels right for us." Then redirect the conversation,' she suggested.
In their biography of the Sussexes, Finding Freedom, Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand wrote that when naming Archie, the pair wanted something which was 'something traditional, a name that was powerful even without a title in front of it'
'Parenting involves infinite decisions that others more than likely will question and have opinions about,' the expert added.
'Trust your instincts and build internal confidence around your decisions, while learning to hold space for what matters the most to your growing family.'
In their biography of the Sussexes, Finding Freedom, Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand wrote that when naming Archie, the pair wanted something which was 'something traditional, a name that was powerful even without a title in front of it.'
'Archie, meaning strength and bravery, fit the bill,' they added.
Meanwhile a friend of the couple revealed 'with a laugh': 'They thought about Archibald for all of one second. He was always going to be little Archie.'
Unlike many senior royals, Archie only has one middle name, Harrison, a fitting tribute to the baby's father as it means 'son of Henry' or 'son of Harry.'
As for Lilibet, her middle name is a tribute to Prince William and Harry's late mother, Princess Diana, who tragically passed away in 1997.