Community Corner
Sophia and Jacob Top Baby Names for 2010 in Washington
Jacob is a top pick for parents for most of the past decade, say state officials.
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 number one 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.
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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. “The next thing they can do is sign up for text4baby, a new service that sends helpful health advice to cell phones in text messages.”
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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 (www.text4baby.org/).
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
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