Metro Parent Magazine August 2014 | Page 10

45,026 18,148 Total number of babies born in Oregon in 2013: n and now s, the e by nam Oregon ba Number that were first-borns: 13 190 28 20 Ran 459 Rank of “Leonard” in 2013, on a list of the top 500 names for boys k MA of RY in Chalkboard: [ Play Room ] Number of Emmas born in Oregon in 2013: RANK OF LEONARD IN 1928: Rank of Mary in 1928: Number of Years “Emma”has been the 1 1 Number baby name for girls in Oregon: 252 261 Number of Liams born in Oregon in 2013 NUMBER OF YEARS “LIAM” HAS BEEN THE MOST POPULAR BOY’S NAME IN OREGON. Source: Oregon Health Authority, Center for Health Statistics. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Back in the 1980s, you could walk into just about any elementary school classroom in Oregon and be guaranteed to find a few little Jessicas or Jasons in attendance. These days, those names, and other 1980s and early ‘90s favorites (Brittany, anyone?) are out of favor — there were just 12 Jeffreys born in Oregon in 2013, compared with about 1,900 of them in the 1980s. Instead, parents are influenced by celebrity choices (think baby Mason, from the Kardashian family tree), and reaching back to the Victorian era for names, or even futher back, to the Bible. Aiden and Caleb are on the rise for boys; Penelope and Charlotte are moving up the list for girls. So hear this, new parents: if you really want a unique name, you might just consider Jessica. Or maybe Jason. Liam may be king for boys, but here are the other top Oregon baby boy names from 2013: Mason • Elijah • Benjamin • William • Henry • Ethan • Noah • Logan Emma rules for girls, but other names gained ground in 2013, too: Olivia • Sophia • Abigail • Ava • Emily • Amelia • Isabella • Evelyn 10 August 2014 | metro-parent.com