Sophia, Jacob Take Top Billing With 2010 Babies Born In Washington

Perhaps proving that the Pacific Northwest marches to a different beat, the  most popular names in the state for baby boys and girls last year were Sophia and Jacob, according to a state Department of Health (DOH) survey.

Health officials say Isabella was the most  popular name nationally (Sophia is No. 2), while Jacob was the most popular name for baby boys  in Washington and across the United States. The baby names are collected as part of birth-certificate registration by the DOH, and the baby-name tables are one of the most popular webpages on the state agency's website.

Jacob  has held the top spot for the past decade in the United States.  In Washington, Jacob was the first choice for baby boys this decade in every year but three. In 2009, Alexander was first and Jacob, second. In both 2008 and 2002, Ethan was first and Jacob, second. Overall, 44,247 boys were born in 2010 in Washington. Of those, 416 babies were named Jacob. Over the previous four decades, Michael was the number one name for baby boys (1961-1998) in the United States, according to the Social  Security Administration.

Although there are  consistent favorites for girls, the most popular names in Washington change every couple of years. In Washington, four names have been in the  top five for most of the decade: Olivia, Isabella, Emma and Emily. Sophia has been one of the top four most popular names beginning in 2007. Overall, 42,233 girls were born in 2010 in Washington. Of those,  474 babies were named Sophia.

“Naming a baby is an  important decision that will last for the child’s whole life. These days, it seems like one of the first things a parent does after naming a  baby is text friends and family with the news,” said Dr. Maxine Hayes, state health officer and a pediatrician.

Text4baby is a free health-information program that sends weekly text messages to help  pregnant women and new mothers give their babies a healthy start. It’s  easy to sign up. Text “BABY” for messages in English or “BEBE” for  messages in Spanish, to 511411. People may also sign up online.

Top 10 Names for 2010

Rank

Males

Females

Washington

U.S.

Washington

U.S.

1

Jacob

Jacob

Sophia

Isabella

2

Alexander

Ethan

Olivia

Sophia

3

Daniel

Michael

Isabella

Emma

4

William

Jayden

Emma

Olivia

5

Ethan

William

Ava

Ava

6

Logan

Alexander

Abigail

Emily

7

Benjamin

Noah

Emily

Abigail

8

Liam

Daniel

Elizabeth

Madison

9

Elijah

Aiden

Madison

Chloe

10

Noah

Anthony

Chloe

Mia