Jacob and Isabella Top Baby Names

For the 12th consecutive year, Jacob ruled among boys in the U.S. Social Security Administration’s list of most popular baby names for 2010. Isabella remained queen of girl baby names for the second year. Sophia rose to become the new number two name for girl babies. The only new name to crawl into the top 10 on either list was Aiden, which replaced Joshua on the boys’ side.

A popular feature of Social Security’s baby names website is the “Change in Name Popularity” list. This year’s winners for biggest jump in popularity in the Top 500 are related to each other. Maci and Bentley had the biggest jumps in popularity. Maci Bookout and her infant son, Bentley, were prominently featured on the show “Teen Mom” and its predecessor, “16 and Pregnant.” 

The second fastest riser on the boys’ list is Kellan, the name of actor Kellan Lutz, best known for playing Emmett Cullen in the Twilight series. Coming in third is Knox, one of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s toddler twins. On the girls’ side, Tiana, the name of the main character in the Disney movie The Princess and the Frog and Disney’s first African-American princess, is one of the biggest chart hoppers.

Social Security Commissioner Michael J. Astrue noted that  Elvis has left the building, slipping out of the top 1,000 for the first time since 1954. “This news about Elvis has me all shook up,” said Astrue.  “But that’s all right mama. I’m confident that, next year, America’s new parents can’t help falling in love with Elvis again and moving it back into the top 1,000.”

For more on top baby names of 2010, visit www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames.

Change in popularity, by name