The Deacon's Bench
And once again, popular culture — not saints or family tradition — is playing a big role.
From the New York Daily News:
What’s in a name? A nationwide obsession with “Twilight,” Teen Mom and celebrities, it seems.
The most popular baby names of 2010 are Jacob and Isabella – both lead characters in the hit romantic vampire novels-turned-movie.
The names topped the charts for the second year in a row, the Social Security Administration revealed yesterday.
Jayden, one of Britney Spears’ sons, is the fourth favorite name in the U.S.
And the nation’s fascination with reality television has propelled Maci and Bentley, the mom and son characters from the hit show “Teen Mom,” to become the fastest trending names.
“‘Teen Mom’ is the winner of this year’s baby name wars,” said Laura Wattenberg, creator of babynamewizard.com.
“It’s amazing to think that one teenage girl and her baby are changing America’s baby names.”
Other favorites for boys include Ethan, Michael and William.
Sophia, Emma and Olivia are among the most popular for girls.
Kellan, the name shared by the “Twilight” actor Kellan Lutz who plays Emmett Cullen, has also surged in popularity. It’s the second-biggest trending boys’ name.
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