What people name their babies has long been a contested subject, but as with anything else, trends come and go. Curious about this year's trends? The most popular baby names of 2015 have just been released, courtesy of the BabyCenter Bayb Names Survey. The data BabyCenter collected in order to create the ranking came from over 340,000 babies born this year, according to accounts held by parents on BabyCenter.
The parenting website not only analyzed data of the most popular names, but also looked at new emerging trends in baby naming. One that they found was parents naming their children after Instagram filters — yes, for real! "We were a little surprised by this," Linda Murray, BabyCenter's global editor in chief, told TODAY Parents. "[But] there's this beautiful thing that happens with an Instagram filter... I think people have just really warm feelings about that and these names come into their consciousness," she continued. Gender-neutral names were also a noted trend, with many parents backing away from names traditionally associated with one particular gender.
It's interesting to note, though, that the most popular baby names tend to remain on top for about three to five years — something which BabyCenter's data for this year reflects: Many of the popular names in 2015 have made the list in years past.
Here's a look at 10 of the most popular names for 2015's new little tykes — many of which, somewhat oddly, have only two syllables. To see the full list of all 200 names, head on over to BabyCenter.
Mia
Meaning: "Mine." Latin.
Mia came in fifth place for the most popular girl's name this year, rising slightly from its number six slot over the past three years. The name has gone from being almost never used for new babies in the mid '90s to now being one of the most popular names new parents pick.
Ava
Meaning: "Bird" or "life." German
The name Ava shot in popularity in 2004, with BabyCenter noting that actress Ava Gardner made the name a popular choice. Before then, almost no one was naming their kid Ava.
Olivia
Meaning: "Olive tree." Greek.
The feminine version of Oliver, Olivia (in this particular spelling) was first used in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. This name has sustained popularity in modern times, however, having come in second place in BabyCenter's survey since 2011.
Emma
Meaning: "Whole." German.
Emma has become a well-loved name by new parents in recent years, with the name being the second most popular in BabyCenter's survey this year and having come in first place for four years prior. Although national U.S. statistics for baby names haven't been released yet for 2015, Emma came in first place nationally last year as well.
Sophia
Meaning: "Wisdom." Greek
The top name for girls in 2015 is... drumroll please... Sophia! The name came in third place for the last four years, but has shot in popularity to take first place in this year's survey. I'm also excited to note that this is the name of my dog, who I find to be quite wise.
Noah
Meaning: "Rest." Hebrew.
Noah came in fifth place for traditionally male names in this year's BabyCenter survey. The name has come in first place in U.S. national statistics for the last two years, so it's definitely popular.
Lucas
Meaning: "Light-giving." Latin.
Naming a boy "Lucas" seems to be an emerging trend; the name has been popular, although not notably so in the last four years, across both national statistics and in BabyCenter's annual name survey.
Liam
Meaning: "Helmet of will." Irish.
Interestingly, "Liam" is actually a shortened form of "William" that has taken on a life of its own in recent years. The name came in first place in BabyCenter's survey for the past three years, and has been the second most popular name in the United States for the last two.
Aiden
Meaning: "Fiery." Irish
If you're naming an Irish boy with fiery red hair, this may be the perfect moniker for him! The name has shot up in popularity this year from the number eight spot in 2014, so we might be seeing a lot more baby Aidens in the near future.
Jackson
Meaning: "Son of Jack." Hebrew.
The most popular name for a baby boy in 2015 is Jackson! This may be my own pop-culture conspiracy theory, but the name started to gain popularity in the United States around 2006 — the same year that Hannah Montana premiered, featuring the ever funny character of her older brother, Jackson. Coincidence?
Images: junglejammer/Flickr; Giphy (4); Gif Soup
