Associated Press
NEW YORK – Yell “Michael!” on any playground and expect a mob. The same may hold true for “Hannah!” in about five years.
Michael is the most popular boy’s name of 2000, according to BabyCenter.com. Last year Jacob edged Michael for the top spot, but Michael had been the No. 1 boy’s name in the United States for the previous 35 years. Hannah surpassed 1999’s front-runner Emily.
BabyCenter.com compiles the list of the 100 most-popular names of the year based on a sampling of Social Security Number card applications received from January to August. Names with the same pronunciation but different spellings are counted as one to gauge their relative popularity.
Individuality and strength are what parents most want to convey in a boy’s name, while individuality and femininity are the most desired traits for a girl, according to BabyCenter.com’s survey of 11,000 expecting couples and parents.
More than 40 percent of parents think the name they select will contribute to the child’s success in life, the survey said.
The top 10 boys’ names for 2000 in order were: Michael, Jacob, Matthew, Nicholas, Christopher, Joseph, Zachary, Joshua, Andrew and William.
The list for girls is: Hannah, Emily, Sarah, Madison, Brianna, Kaylee, Kaitlyn, Haley, Alexis and Elizabeth.
Copyright ©2000 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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