2011 Baby Names Almanac - Emily Larson [1]
And what baby name book would be complete without the names? Flip to page 59 to begin browsing through more than 20,000 names, including entries for the most popular names for girls and boys as reported by the Social Security Administration (www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames).
A little bit of a mishmash and a screenshot of the world today, The 2011 Baby Names Almanac is like no other book out there. Stuffed with ideas on what’s hip and hot and how you can take a trend and turn it into a name you love, this book is your all-in-one guide to baby names now.
Inside the Popularity Charts
The Top 10
Let’s start with the most popular names in the country. Ranked by the Social Security Administration (SSA), these names are released around Mother’s Day each year. (The top 10 names get the most attention, but you may also hear about the top 100. The total number of names widely reported is 1,000.) In 2009 the top 10 names were similar—but not identical to—the top 10 for 2008. Emma slid from first to second, unseated by the mighty Isabella. (We’re pretty sure that has more than a little bit to do with the Twilight series!) And you know Jayden hasn’t peaked yet, because it climbed into the top 10 for the first time in 2009 (in 2000, it was way down at 194). Here’s a quick comparison of 2009 and 2008.
2009 Girls 2008 Girls
1. Isabella 1. Emma
2. Emma 2. Isabella
3. Olivia 3. Emily
4. Sophia 4. Madison
5. Ava 5. Ava
6. Emily 6. Olivia
7. Madison 7. Sophia
8. Abigail 8. Abigail
9. Chloe 9. Elizabeth
10. Mia 10. Chloe
2009 Boys 2008 Boys
1. Jacob 1. Jacob
2. Ethan 2. Michael
3. Michael 3. Ethan
4. Alexander 4. Joshua
5. William 5. Daniel
6. Joshua 6. Alexander
7. Daniel 7. Anthony
8. Jayden 8. William
9. Noah 9. Christopher
10. Anthony 10. Matthew
Just How Many Isabellas Are There, Anyway?
Sure, these names are popular, but what does that mean? Well, it seems that new parents are increasingly looking for off-the-beaten-path names for their little ones, and it shows. According to the SSA, the top 1,000 names represent 73.09 percent of all babies born and named in the United States in 2009—a significant drop from the 77.84 percent recorded in 2000.
Although parents of either gender have always been looking beyond the top 1,000, parents of boys are more likely to pick a name in that mix—79.03 percent of boys’ names are represented on the top 1,000 list, while only 66.86 percent of girls’ names are.
Plus, although it may seem like you know a zillion people with daughters named Madison or Ava, the most popular names are actually bestowed upon a relatively small number of babies each year. For example, in 2009 only 1 percent of all male babies born in the United States (that’s 20,858 little guys total) got the most popular name, Jacob. There are slightly more girls (22,067 total) with the most popular name, Isabella, but even that’s only 1.12 percent of all girls born. Only a fifth of the Jacob total—4,134 babies—were given the 100th most popular name, Kyle. The number of babies with the number 1 name is dropping swiftly—back in 1999, the first year Jacob hit number 1, more than 35,000 boys got that name, “’ which is more than 15,000 additional babies compared to 2009. And back in 1965, 4.28 percent of all male babies (a staggering 81,041 tots) were named Michael, the most popular name of that year. So if you’ve got your heart set on naming your son Ethan but you’re worried that he’ll be surrounded by Ethans wherever he goes, take heart!
Mary, Mary Quite Contrary
Mary has been the most frequent number 1 girls’ name over the past 100 years, appearing in the top spot 46 times. For boys? It’s Michael, topping the charts 44 times.
What’s Popular in My State?
It’s interesting to see how some names are more popular in certain states than in others. For example, Landon ranks