The list of most popular baby names is out. Topping the list this year: Jacob and Sophia. Jacob has held the top slot since 1999. Sophia celebrates its second year on top, taking over Isabella’s reign in 2011.
Name jumpers
The Social Security Administration puts out the list of Top 500 baby names each year. Two names jumped up the charts this year: Major and Arya.
“I have no doubt Major’s rising popularity as a boy’s name is in tribute to the brave members of the U.S. military,” Carolyn Colvin, acting Social Security commissioner, says in a statement. “Maybe we’ll see more boys named General in the future.”
Pop culture unquestionably has an impact on the list. Arya is young girl’s name on the HBO hit series Game of Thrones. Isabella became popular when the Twilight series was all-abuzz.
Names with appealing sounds
What are parents looking for in a name? No doubt, parents scour baby books or look through their family tree for a historical name, but according to Cleveland Evans, a member of the American Name Society, it’s all about being unique.
“Typical parents want to give their child a name that everybody has heard of and everybody likes, but no one has — which is an absolutely impossible task,” he said.
Others say names have to sound “cheery.”
“The sound today that parents are looking for is very smooth and bright — very heavy on long vowels,” agrees Laura Wattenberg, author of The Baby Name Wizard. Examples are Liam and Mila, she adds. “Names with a similar sound, like Mia and Noah, you can count on thriving.”
Popular names from the past
USA Today has an interactive tool that allows you check out popular baby names from 1880-2013.
