LONDON - The Duke and Duchess of Sussex allegedly rejected the title Earl of Dumbarton for their son Archie because they feared it would lead to bullying as it contains the word "dumb".

According to a source who spoke to British newspaper The Telegraph: "They didn't like the idea of Archie being called the Earl of Dumbarton because it began with the word 'dumb' (and) they were worried about how that might look."

Another anonymous source added: "It wasn't just Meghan who pointed out the potential pitfalls, it also bothered Harry."

Prince Harry, 36, was made Earl of Dumbarton after he married Meghan, 39, in 2018 and the title of Scottish nobility can be passed to his first-born son, who is now two.

The couple, who now live in California, have a new daughter, Lilibet Diana, born earlier this month. Both children do not have titles, unlike the children of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

In an interview with The Sun Online, royal author Phil Dampier said the couple wanted to "control every aspect of their lives and how they are perceived by the public".

"Turning down the title because it had the word 'dumb' in it shows the fundamental lack of knowledge that Meghan has about royalty and British history," he added.

"To reject using it for this reason is dumb itself, you can't just alter or dismiss ancient titles when it suits you."

The Earl of Dumbarton is a title of Scottish nobility, which refers to Dumbarton, a working-class town west of Glasgow with a population of 20,000.

Residents of Dumbarton reacted strongly to the news.

Pub worker Nicole Bates, 21, said to The Daily Mail: "I think that's shocking. I don't know why they would do that. Dumbarton's a good place, full of crazy people but they are certainly not dumb."

Another lifelong resident, Bill Hannah, 83, added: "I wouldn't want him to have anything to do with Dumbarton. He can be the Prince of California for all I care."