Noah, Emma most popular baby names for second year

Published 9:22 am Wednesday, May 11, 2016

“Baby Names Day” has arrived.

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Whether you want to see how your own name measures up in popularity or are seeking a name for a new little one on the way, Social Security might be able to help.

The agency has released the most popular baby names for 2015, unveiled a new baby names quiz and shared trivia on unusual and trending names.

For the second year in a row, Emma and Noah are America’s most popular baby names. This marks the third year at number one for Noah and the second for Emma.

New names on the lists are Benjamin and Harper, the first time for both.

The agency began compiling the baby name list in 1997, with names dating back to 1880. Each year, the list reveals the effect of pop culture on naming trends.

This year’s winners for biggest jump in popularity in the Top 1,000 are Alaia and Riaan.

Alaia jumped 2,012 spots on the girls’ side to number 664, from number 2,676 in 2014. Speculation attributes the name to either high fashion designer Azzedine Alaia or Alaia Baldwin, model/daughter of actor Stephen Baldwin.

Riaan increased 1,360 spots for the boys, from number 2,286 in 2014 to number 926. Of Indian origin, it is also the name of the young son of a well-known Bollywood actor, Riteish Deshmukh.

The second fastest riser for girls was Meilani. Fans of MTV’s program “Jersey Shore” should be familiar with Jenni “JWoww” Farley, who in 2014, gave birth to a daughter, Meilani. Others might know of another Meilani on a different American shore, Hawaii — Bethany Meilani Hamilton, the professional surfer whose story of surviving a shark attack was documented in the movie “Soul Surfer.”

The second-fastest rising name for boys was Huxley, perhaps a new comeback for the late science fiction writer Aldous Huxley.

Here are a few other notable names in the top 10 biggest increase category, and some possible reasons for their newfound popularity:

• Omari and Jabari for boys. Omari Hardwick is an actor, known for his roles in “Sparkle,” “The A-Team” and BET Network’s “Being Mary Jane,” who currently stars in the popular cable TV series “Power.” Jabari Parker is a professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks and was the second overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft out of Duke.

• Adaline and Zelda for girls. “The Age of Adaline” is a 2015 fantasy film starring Blake Lively, Harrison Ford, Michiel Huisman and Ellen Burstyn. And as for Zelda, maybe the legend continues to grow?

To see the entire list, find where your own name ranks, check out the new quiz, and look up popular names by decade and state, visit Social Security at www.socialsecurity.gov.

Girls, boys

1. Emma, Noah

2. Olivia, Liam

3. Sophia, Mason

4. Ava, Jacob

5. Isabella, William

6. Mia, Ethan

7. Abigail, James

8. Emily, Alexander

9. Charlotte, Michael

10. Harper, Benjamin

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