She kept the world guessing for weeks over what she and Prince Harry would call their first born, and stunned royal watchers when the pair eventually revealed the baby’s name was Archie.

Fans and experts alike praised the couple for shunning more ‘traditional’ monikers in favour of Archie, which means ‘brave’, and is often used as a shortened form of Archibold.

Now friends of the Duchess of Sussex have claimed the former actress took inspiration for the little boy’s first name from a beloved family pet.

A former close friend of Meghan revealed that the ex-Suits actress and her mother Doria Ragland, 62, had shared a cat named Archie, himself named after the Archie comic the Duchess had once collected as a child. 

‘Doria rescued Archie and he became an important part of the household. Meghan loved playing with him and she was always talking about him to her friends,’ a friend told The Sun. 

‘It’s no surprise she named her new baby Archie. She loved that cat.’

Meghan, 37, is believed to have told friends the cat ended becoming fat after he was constant fed grapes, and the pet is believed to have died while the former actress was away at college at Northwestern University in Chicago.

Meghan and Harry welcomed Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor on Monday and introduced him to the world at a photocall in Windsor Castle, on Wednesday.

Before meeting with the Queen – the first member of the royal family to see the child since his birth on Monday – the new parents shared sweet details about their new addition.

Prince Harry shows he already has dad jokes down to a tee

Archie is the shortened version of Archibald, a traditionally Scottish name which is said to mean ‘true, bold and brave’.

Unlike many senior royals, Archie only has one middle name – Harrison – which is of Aboriginal origin and, in a fitting tribute to the baby’s father, means ‘son of Henry’ or ‘son of Harry’.

Many in Britain had expected a more traditional royal name, as bookies favoured James, Arthur, and Edward, with Archie sitting at around 100/1.

The baby shares his moniker with one of Princess Diana’s ancestors, Archibald Campbell, who was the 9th Earl of Argyll, from Scotland.

Famous Archies include red-haired cartoon character Archie Andrews from the Archie comics franchise in America.

He is part of the Archie gang, along with a host of characters – including Moose Mason, Betty Cooper and Jughead Jones – who have been on American news stands for years.

Archie Andrews is known as ‘America’s typical teenager’ and he and his friends have been updated for a modern audience with Riverdale, a Netflix American teenage drama series.

Archie Mitchell was a villain in the BBC soap EastEnders, Lawrenece Olivier played Archie Rice in The Entertainer, and another famous Archie is jazz saxophonist Archie Shepp, as well as NFL quarterback Archie Manning.

Other famous Archies include Scottish footballing hero Archie Gemmill, ventriloquist dummy Archie Andrews and Archie Leach, the real name of the Hollywood star Cary Grant.

Prince Harry and Meghan show off new royal baby boy Archie

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