Most Popular Baby Names For 2014

The United States Social Security Administration has released their list of the most popular boys and girls names for 2014, with Noah and Emma taking the top spots.

According to the Huffington Post, the biblical name Noah holds down the number one spot for a second year in a row and James moved back into the Top 10, knocking Jayden out. More classic, historically rooted boys’ names are making their way back to the top and gaining popularity.

“Noah is the righteous Old Testament arc-building patriarch and his name is representative of other trending biblical boys highly ranked on the charts, such as Elijah, Isaac, Levi, Isaiah and Josiah,” according to the Huffington Post. And Charlotte broke into the Top 10 for the first ever. I think Kate Middleton and Prince William were onto something with their name choice for Princess Charlotte.

Emma slid back into first place for the first time in 7 years. “Emma is a very old yet modern-feeling name with German roots and a rich royal and literary history, as in Emma Bovary and Jane Austen’s protagonist,” according to the Huffington Post.

Rounding out the Top 10 Girls Names we have: Olivia, Sophia, Isabella, Ava, Mia, Emily, Abigail, Madison and Charlotte, with Harper coming in at a close #11. And for boys: Liam, Mason, Jacob, William, Ethan, Michael, Alexander, James and Daniel.

We can’t forget that pop culture influences naming trends too. Names are being pulled from shows like “Game of Thrones,” “Downton Abbey,” “Frozen” and “Mad Men.” This year saw rising numbers of baby girls named Ada, Adeline, Alice, Arabella, Aria/Arya, Beatrice, Clara, Cora, Elsie, Frances, Gwendolyn, Hazel, Josephine and Mabel, and boys named Arthur, Ezra, Harvey, Otto, Theodore, Warren and Winston.

Aaliyah, Alexis, Gabriella, Genesis, and Neveah; Brayden, Gavin, Nathan, and Ryan are some of the names that are seeing a downward trend. While names like Luna, Nora, Paisley, Penelope and Piper for girls, and Atticus, Carter, Everett, Lucas/Luke, and Sebastian for boys are making positive moves up the charts.

Maybe FUN 107’s Nancy Hall will pick one of these trendy names for her expecting baby or I’ll use one for my next kitty!