Kardashian Bump Puts Mason on Most Popular Baby Name List
The Kardashian family's popularity helped bump the name Mason to the number two spot in the Social Security's list of top boy baby names in 2011.
Just to put things in perspective, the name Mason never even made it onto the top 25 names until 2010, after reality TV star Kourtney Kardashian gave birth to her first son in December 2009 and named him Mason. The name Mason hit number 12 in 2010, and last year it leaped ten spots to number two. Mason is the only new name in the top 10 list for boys and girls this year.
"Some may attribute this year's rise to number two to reality TV star Kourtney Kardashian's son. We note, moreover, that Mason has been a regular top-five name in Wisconsin for many years, undoubtedly a tribute to strong-legged Green Bay Packer kicker Mason Crosby," the U.S. Social Security Administration noted in a statement.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
The Social Security agency started compiling baby name lists in 1997, but offers lists going as far back as 1880.
The top boy baby name is Jacob, which is no surprise given that Jacob has topped the list for thirteen years in a row.
On the girl's side, the name Sophia topped the list as the most popular female baby name in 2011. Sophia knocked the name Isabella from the top spot; Isabella was the most popular baby girl name from 2009-2010.
The biggest jumps in popularity among the top 500 names are Brantley, which jumped 416 spots to number 320, and Briella, which jumped 394 spots to number 497. Similar to the name Mason, Briella's rise in popularity is tied to a celebrity. Briella Calafiore is the reality star hairdresser from cable TV's "Jerseylicious" and the show's spinoff, "Glam Fairy."
Meanwhile, the male name Brantley can trace its popularity growth to either college quarterback John Brantley of The University of Florida, or to country music star Brantley Gilbert.
Most popular boy names in 2011:
1. Jacob
2. Mason
3. William
4. Jayden
5. Noah
6. Michael
7. Ethan
8. Alexander
9. Aiden
10. Daniel
Most popular girl names in 2011:
1. Sophia
2. Isabella
3. Emma
4. Olivia
5. Ava
6. Emily
7. Abigail
8. Madison
9. Mia
10. Chloe
