Emma and Jacob

WASHINGTON — Barack moved up a record 10,126 places to No. 2,409, but the classics still rule. Emma is the top baby name for girls, Jacob for boys.

Emma’s surge to the top in 2008 ended Emily’s 12-year reign as the No. 1 baby name for girls, the Social Security Administration announced Friday.

Jacob held onto the boy’s crown for the 10th straight year.

Baby naming experts said Americans are pulled by sometimes conflicting impulses when choosing names for their children. They gravitate toward the popular, wanting their child to fit in. But many also want their child’s name to be unique.



by the associated press