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We're In The Age Of Noah And Emma: Most Popular Baby Names Of 2014

The top names for newborns in the U.S. last year were Noah and Emma, followed by Liam and Olivia. Third on the list were Mason and Sophia.
Sally Anscombe
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The top names for newborns in the U.S. last year were Noah and Emma, followed by Liam and Olivia. Third on the list were Mason and Sophia.

Sophia's time as the most popular name for little girls born in the U.S. is reportedly over; it was replaced by Emma in the government's 2014 data that were released Friday. Repeating as the top boy's name is Noah, followed by Liam.

That's the news from the Social Security Administration, which says, "There are a few new names in the top 10 this year — James (a former No. 1 from the '40s and '50s) on the blue side and Charlotte on the pink side, her first time ever in the top 10."

Last year, Noah's upset win ended 54 years of dominance by Jacob and Mark, as we reported. This year, Emma took the top spot after three years of Sophia's rule.

The top 20 most popular name for babies born in 2014 were:

Boys / Girls

1.) Noah / Emma
2.) Liam / Olivia
3.) Mason / Sophia
4.) Jacob / Isabella
5.) William / Ava
6.) Ethan / Mia
7.) Michael / Emily
8.) Alexander / Abigail
9.) James / Madison
10.) Daniel / Charlotte
11.) Elijah / Harper
12.) Benjamin / Sofia
13.) Logan / Avery
14.) Aiden / Elizabeth
15.) Jayden / Amelia
16.) Matthew / Evelyn
17.) Jackson / Ella
18.) David / Chloe
19.) Lucas / Victoria
20.) Joseph / Aubrey

Other names that are getting more popular, according to the SSA: Aranza and Montserrat for girls and for boys, Bode and Axl.

The AP reports:

"For boys, the biggest riser was Bode, which jumped 645 spots to No. 783. Also among the top risers were Bodie and Bodhi. Bode Miller is an Olympic skier. Bodhi is a Buddhist term for enlightenment or awakening.

"For girls, the runaway winner was Aranza, which jumped 3,625 spots to No. 607. Aranza is a popular Mexican singer. Also, there is a character named Aranza on the Mexican telenovela Por Siempre Mi Amor, which debuted in 2013."

You can check out lists for previous years at the SSA website.

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Bill Chappell is a writer and editor on the News Desk in the heart of NPR's newsroom in Washington, D.C.
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