Top baby names in Oklahoma for 2012 are Emma, Elijah

Source: Tulsa World, Okla.mini storageDec. 30--Ethan was the only name both Tiffany Warren and her husband liked when the Sand Springs couple was expecting in 2008.When their baby boy arrived six weeks early with heart problems that meant a lengthy stay in the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit, Tiffany Warren said they knew the name Ethan -- which means strong and firm -- was the perfect choice for their little fighter."He was in the NICU for a long time," Warren said. "So we definitely decided it was his name."Statewide, more than 800 boys born between 2007 and 2009 were named Ethan, numbers that made the name No. 1 in Oklahoma for three consecutive years, Social Security Administration data show.Nationwide during the past decade the name Ethan climbed to No. 2 in popularity, where it ranked during 2009 and 2010.Parents are turning away from biblical names like Rachel, Rebecca and Sarah for their little girls, but names found in the Old and New Testaments continue to be popular choices for boys, said Linda Rosenkrantz, author and co-founder of popular baby naming website Nameberry.com.Although the popularity of choosing biblical monikers for boys has not changed, the names parents are selecting for their sons has, said Jennifer Moss, founder and CEO of parenting website Babynames.com. Top choices for boys currently include Ethan, Caleb and Isaiah, figures found deeper in the Bible's text than the names of generations past."They're getting to more minor characters," Moss said.Elijah, Oklahoma's most recent No. 1 name for boys, shows a continuation of the religious influence.More than 200 boys born in Oklahoma during 2012 were given the prophet's name, which means "The Lord is My God."Nationwide during the past decade, the name Elijah reached No. 13 in popularity, where it ranked during 2011 and 2012.Jeremiah and Carrie Rosson of Kellyville chose the name Elijah Gust for their 17-month-old because of its biblical roots and because the weather-influenced middle name paired well with their four-year-old son Josiah Thunder's name."There is a verse in the 2 Kings that says Elijah was swept up in a gust," Jeremiah Rosson said of the inspiration for their younger son's name.During the past decade Emma has been the overwhelming favorite for little girls born in Oklahoma, Social Security Administration data show.Emma, which means universal, ranked No. 1 for girls born in Oklahoma in 2005 through 2008 and 2011-12. More than 1,600 girls were christened Emma during those years.The current popularity of the name began when Ross and Rachel from the sitcom "Friends" named their baby Emma in 2002, Moss said. Several famous actresses also have the name, which helps reinforce i迷你倉s popularity with parents.Micah and Pebble Wisdom of Wagoner said their 10-year-old son, Carter, the oldest of four children and their only boy, came up with the name Emma for his little sister, now 2.Carter already had twin sisters and was disappointed when he found out the new baby would not be a boy, Pebble Wisdom said. So his parents asked for his input on what to name the newest member of the family."He liked Daisy and Emma, so we went with Emma," Pebble Wisdom said.The Social Security Administration will not release the list that shows the most popular names given to babies born during 2013 until this spring, but many baby name websites have already released the names that received the most traffic from users this year.Asher and Imogen received more online traffic than any other names on Nameberry.com, said Rosenkrantz, pointing out that the website's users veer away from the most frequently used names.Jackson and Sophia were the top names for boys and girls born during 2013, according to parenting and pregnancy website Babycenter.com. The website gathered data from more than half a million parents who submitted the name they chose for their newborns to the website.Current users of BabyNames.com, whose children's names will mostly appear in 2014 name statistics, are favoring British- and Celtic-influenced names like Liam and Declan for boys and old-fashioned feminine names like Amelia, Charlotte and Violet for girls, Moss said.Traffic to the Social Security Administration's website spikes when the baby names list becomes available each year, spokeswoman Kia Anderson said. The agency uses the baby names announcement to encourage people to take advantage of the administration's online services.The connection between name and identity drives people's interest in the topic of baby names, said Moss, whose website receives more than 2 million unique visitors each month."It's one of the most important things you can decide when you're having a baby," Moss said. "It sticks with them."Casey Smith 918-732-8106casey.smith@tulsaworld.comTop girls' namesYear Oklahoma National2012 Emma Sophia2011 Emma Sophia2010 Isabella Isabella2009 Isabella Isabella2008 Emma Emma2007 Emma Emily2006 Emma Emily2005 Emma Emily2004 Madison Emily2003 Emily EmilySource: Social Security AdministrationTop boys' namesYear Oklahoma National2012 Elijah Jacob2011WilliamJacob2010 Jacob Jacob2009 Ethan Jacob2008 Ethan Jacob2007 Ethan Jacob2006 Jacob Jacob2005 Jacob Jacob2004 Jacob Jacob2003 Jacob JacobSource: Social Security AdministrationCopyright: ___ (c)2013 Tulsa World (Tulsa, Okla.) Visit Tulsa World (Tulsa, Okla.) at .tulsaworld.com Distributed by MCT Information Services文件倉