The Wait is Over ... BabyCenter® Unveils Top Baby Names of 2011

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- BabyCenter^®, the #1 pregnancy and parenting mobile and web destination worldwide, today released the results of its highly anticipated annual Baby Names Survey and the Top 100 Baby Names of 2011. Based on the names of 300,000 babies born in 2011 to moms registered on the BabyCenter website, Aiden tops the boys' list for the seventh consecutive year while Sophia holds tight to the lead for girls for the second year in a row. Pop culture and celebrity-inspired names from around the globe are making a mark on this year's list, while sports and political figures are also a baby-naming muse.

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"When it comes to baby names, close to 2 out of 5 moms find inspiration among famous people and celebrities," said Linda Murray, BabyCenter Global Editor in Chief. "Whether it's the royal family or fist-pumping reality show stars, we're seeing more and more pop culture influence throughout our Baby Names list each year."

BabyCenter's Top 100 Baby Names list combines names that sound the same but have different spellings, making it a true measure of baby name popularity. The website also conducts its Baby Names Survey every year, talking directly to parents about their baby name decisions and diving deep into the psychology and trends surrounding baby naming. BabyCenter's survey reveals interesting insights, including that mobile is playing a larger and larger role in baby naming. Nearly half (47 percent) of moms used their mobile phone to decide on a name, up 40 percent compared with last year; half of moms revealed their child's name to friends and family using their mobile phone (52 percent); and 2 in 5 moms shared their baby's name on a social networking site within minutes or hours of giving birth.

Hottest Baby Name Trends of 2011

Top pop culture influences this year include TV personalities like talk show host Anderson Cooper. The name Anderson made a meteoric ascent, up more than 100 spots, and Cooper rose 3 percent, perhaps influenced by both Anderson and Bradley, People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive. In addition, this year's list reflects America's obsession with the Garden State, as names like Nicole (Jersey Shore) make their way up four spots while Briella (Jerseylicious), Jacqueline and Caroline (The Real Housewives of New Jersey), and Kimberly (Jersey Couture) all experienced hair-raising leaps. And if that's not enough, the name Jersey itself is up 16 percent!

Another reality baby name star to take note of is Mason, Kourtney Kardashian's son, who toddled up eight spots to claim the number three spot for boys. Not to be outdone, the first names of power couple Victoria and David Beckham are both on the rise as well as that of their newborn daughter, Harper, whose name is up an impressive 34 spots.

Keeping the reality show stars in check is the royal duo William and Kate, whose names are both on the rise along with Harry and Pippa, whose name is up a whopping 45 percent. Moms also looked to politics, as evidenced by the rise of inspirational congresswoman Gabby Giffords' name, as well as the names of the Palin, Obama, and Clinton daughters. Given that today's moms would rather leave the house without their lipstick than their smartphone, it's no wonder they're also finding baby name inspiration in the high tech world, with the name Steven (as in Jobs) rising 14 spots.

Additional inspiration for this year's crop of top baby names came from superheroes, with names like May (Spider-Girl) swooping up 98 spots and Alan (Green Lantern) climbing 28 spots. NASCAR and nature also left their mark on this year's list, with names like Matt (Kenseth) and Kyle (Busch) on the rise along with Summer and Storm.

For more information on BabyCenter's Top 100 Baby Names of 2011, a complete list of trends, and online tools for finding your ideal baby name, please visit babycenter.com/special-report-baby-names.

With 1 in 4 babies in the United States born to Hispanic moms, BabyCenter also did a deep dive into top baby names, influences, and trends among the Hispanic population, revealing that Hispanics also find inspiration in current events, sports figures, fashion, and Latino pop culture. The results can be found on BabyCenter® en Espanol, which offers comprehensive parenting content in Spanish for U.S. Hispanic moms.

For a list of the top 100 Hispanic baby names, please visit espanol.babycenter.com/pregnancy/nombres/populares-2011.

To see the trends in Hispanic baby names, please visit espanol.babycenter.com/pregnancy/nombres/tendencias-2011.

About BabyCenter^® LLC

BabyCenter® is the voice of the 21^st Century Mom® and modern motherhood. It's the #1 pregnancy and parenting mobile and web destination worldwide, reaching more than 10 million moms monthly in the United States and more than 25 million moms monthly in 22 markets from Australia to India to China. In the United States, 7 in 10 babies born last year were BabyCenter babies. BabyCenter is the world's partner in parenting, providing moms everywhere with trusted advice from hundreds of experts around the globe, friendship with other moms like them, and support that's remarkably right at every stage of their child's development. BabyCenter also works with some of the world's most prominent brands and institutions to provide life-stage marketing solutions and a direct line to highly engaged moms. BabyCenter is a member of the Johnson & Johnson family of companies.

SOURCE BabyCenter(R) LLC