At the Invictus Games in the Netherlands, Meghan Markle told fans that she and Prince Harry almost gave their son Archie a different first name. After being introduced to a boy named Harrison, Meghan told Mandy, Harrison's mother, that she and Harry almost gave their son the first name Harrison, but ultimately decided to give Archie as a middle name. (My wife was) like, 'Harrison, that's Archie's middle name,' and Mandy was like, 'Yeah, I know,'" said Mandy's wife, Sherry McBain. They were just chatting because Harry and Megan couldn't decide whether to use Archie or Harrison as a first name."

Ultimately, the decision to name their son Archie may have come down to the etymology. When Harry and Meghan announced Archewell, the organization the couple founded to continue their lives of public service, they said they were inspired by the Greek word "arche" for both Archewell and Archie. They both said at the time: before Sussex Royal, there was the idea of "arche," which is Greek for "source of action." We connected this concept to the charitable organization we hoped to create one day and used it as inspiration for our son's name. Doing something meaningful, something that matters."

Traditionally used as a nickname for "Archibald," "Archie" has become a popular full name in its own right, especially since Harry and Meghan used it for their first son. In England and Wales, "Archie" was the ninth most popular baby name in 2020 (though not as popular as "George," the second most popular name of Archie's cousin).

"Harrison" also has sentimental significance for the couple. The couple also chose a name with personal meaning for their second child, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor: Lilibet was Queen Elizabeth's family nickname for decades. Diana, of course, was named after Prince Harry's late mother, Princess Diana, who died in a car crash in Paris in 1997.