Possible Names for Queen Victoria

How The Little Princess of Kent would have named?

The first and only child of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and his wife, Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, it was possible for the little Princess of Kent to become the future Queen of the United Kingdom. As a result, the names given to the little Princess were so important, as it determines her future regal name. The names chosen were kept confidentially and were only announced during her christening

Queen Victoria when Princess Alexandrina Victoria by Emanuel Thomas Peter, 1821 (Royal Collection Trust)

Right : Queen Victoria by George Koberwein, 1865 (Wikimedia Commons)

7 names were proposed by the Duke and Duchess of Kent and at last two of them were adopted

"Alexandrina"

Deviated from the name Alexander, it was proposed to be named after the Russian Tsar, Alexander I. It eventually became the Princess's first name, and she was simply known as "Drina" within her family

Tsar Alexander I of Russia by George Dawe, 1826 (Wikimedia Commons)

"Augusta"

Proposed to be named her paternal aunt, Princess Augusta Sophia of the United Kingdom, and her maternal grandmother, Countess Augusta Reuss of Ebersdorf, Duchess consort of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. It is rejected by the Prince of Wales, the Prince Regent who would later became King George IV, being considered as 'too majestic'.

Left : Princess Augusta Sophia of the United Kingdom by William Beechey, ca. 1797 (Wikimedia Commons)

Right : Augusta, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld by William Corden The Younger, 1844 (Royal Collection Trust)

"Charlotte"

Named after Charlotte, Princess Royal and Queen consort of Württemberg. It was rejected as well as it reminded the Prince Regent of his late daughter, Princess Charlotte of Wales, who died after child labouring.

Princess Charlotte of Wales after George Dawe, ca. 1817-1825 (Royal Collection Trust)

"Elizabeth"

It was simply rejected as the Prince Regent would like the Princess's mother's name, Victoria to be included.

"Georgina" (Or Georgiana)

The female variation of the name George, it would be named after the Prince Regent, Prince George. However, he disliked his name to be placed before or after the Tsar's varied name, Alexandrina. 

King George IV of the United Kingdom by Sir Thomas Lawrence, 1821 (Royal Collection Trust)

"Victoria" (Or Victorie)

The name was finally adopted and placed immediately after 'Alexandrina'. It was in honor of the Princess's mother, Victoria, born Princess of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld

Being given the names 'Alexandrina Victoria', when the Princess of Kent became Queen in 1836, instead of becoming Queen Alexandrina of the United Kingdom, she adopted the name Victoria, as regal name.

Princess Victoria, Duchess of Kent and her daughter, Princess Alexandrina Victoria of Kent by Henry Bone, 1824

(Royal Collection Trust)