Most popular baby names change dramatically in US

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(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-07-09 15:34

The 1960s brought us baby names such as April and Sunshine, and naming new Americans has never been the same.

A three-month-old baby holds on to his mother's hand in Miami, Florida. [Agencies]

So when Sunday Rose Kidman Urban was born this week, the baby of an actress and a country western singer, news of her distinctive name created only a small stir. While many parents still hew to traditional names, US babies now are tagged with an ever-increasing diversity of names for which the inspirations range from the calendar to languages from afar.

The top 10 baby names from 1950 look nothing like today. Here's the list from 1950, according to the US Social Security Administration:

Most popular boy/girl baby names in 1950:

1. James / Linda

2. Robert / Mary

3. John / Patricia

4. Michael / Barbara

5. David / Susan

6. William / Nancy

7. Richard / Deborah

8. Thomas / Sandra

9. Charles / Carol

10. Gary / Kathleen

Here's the list from last year:

1. Jacob / Emily

2. Michael / Isabella

3. Ethan / Emma

4. Joshua / Ava

5. Daniel / Madison

6. Christopher / Sophia

7. Anthony / Olivia

8. William / Abigail

9. Matthew / Hannah

10. Andrew / Elizabeth

The name Mary had a long go, staying at No. 1 baby girl name from the 1880s through the 1950s, while John was one of the top five boy names during that same period. Parental preference for Michael took off in the 1950s, holding strong to this day.

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