Sifter
Babes by any other name
You named me what?!
The day after Mother’s Day, Monday, May 12, 2003, the Social Security Administration announced the top baby names in the nation for 2002. All names came from Social Security card applications, whether the birth occurred in the United States or elsewhere. Different spellings of similar names, it must be noted, such as Kaitlin, Kaitlyn, Katelin and so on, were considered separate names. Topping the 2002 list nationally were Emily and Jacob. Emily has been the undisputed champ in girls’ names since 1996, when it unseated former queen Jessica. Jacob has been the most popular boy’s name since 1999. It should be noted that the previous king of the hill, Michael, held the top spot since 1964! That’s a mighty long hill to tumble down!
Moving things a tad more locally, here are the S.S.A. 2002 figures and top five names for the state of California
2002 California Top Five Baby Names
Boys No. of occurrences Girls No. of occurrences
1. Daniel 4,034 1. Emily 2,961
2. Anthony 3,685 2. Ashley 2,627
3. José 3,456 3. Samantha 2,480
4. Andrew 3,445 4. Jessica 1,962
5. Jacob 3,314 5. Jennifer 1,955
