Most Popular Baby Names - Trends for 2012
Get a sneak peek into the most popular baby names of the year 2012.
Jacob and Sophia may be the most popular baby names of 2011, but if the Social Security Administration’s predictions are correct, the names Brantley and Briella are climbing the charts the fastest! What other names are hot for 2012? Get a sneak peek into the hottest baby names of the year.
Most popular baby names - The reality show influence
The Social Security Administration not only lists the most popular names of the year, but also tracks which names are climbing the charts the fastest. The name Briella is the girl’s name that is showing the biggest jump, thanks to the hairdresser Briella Calafiore from the reality show Jerseylicious.
For boys, Mason was the only new name in the top 10. It was number 12 last year and, thanks to reality star Kourtney Kardashian’s son Mason, the name has jumped into the number two spot. Check out the top 100 baby boy names here.
Gender-bending most popular baby names
One only needs to look at the most recent celebrity baby names to see the popularity of gender-bending names. Jessica Simpson named her baby girl the masculine name of Maxwell Drew, reportedly after her fiance’s middle name (Maxwell) and her mother’s maiden name (Drew). Heidi Klum and Seal named their daughter Lou Sulola Samuel and Rachel Uchitel just gave birth to a girl they named Wyatt. Johnny Knoxville has a daughter named Arlo, while Rebecca Gayheart and Eric Dane have a cute little girl named Billie.
This gender-bending trend is not quite as popular for boys, however the unisex names Cameron and Taylor are popular choices for both boys and girls.
Long versus short names
Long baby names are trending high, possibly due to parents looking for names that sound more elegant or refined. For boys, the names Maximiliano, Brantley, Remington, Finnegan, Jameson and Maverick are all climbing the charts. In fact, Brantley jumped 416 spots in one year! For girls, the longer names Angelique, Genevieve, Vivienne, Raelynn, Mckinley and Evangeline are top choices.
Short names are always a popular choice for parents. For boys, the name Iker jumped 267 spots in one year! Other trending short names include Nico, Milo, Abel and Axel for boys and Aria, Mila, Gia and Nyla for girls.
Trendspotting
Baby boy names that start with the letter “K” are also a popular choice for parents. Some examples that are trending are Kamden, Kieran, Kason, Karter and Karson.
For girls, parents are choosing names that end with –ee sound, including Brynlee, Aubree, Charlee, Caylee and Haylee.
