Another big year for Jacobs and Emilys

WASHINGTON, May 12 (UPI) -- Emily and Emma were the most popular names given to baby girls born in the United States last year, while the boys were dominated by Jacobs and Michaels.

The Social Security Administration said in the annual list released this week that Michael has been either No. 1 or No. 2 on the list for the past 15 years, while Jacob has held the top spot since 1999.

Emily marked a full decade as the leading name for little American girls, while Emma has surged from No. 17 in 2000 to No. 2 for the past four years.

New parents told The New York Daily News they tended to choose names such as Michael and Emma because they had relatives who had carried those monikers.

Rounding out the Top 10 for girls were: Madison, Isabella, Ava, Abigail, Olivia, Hannah, Sophia and Samantha. The boys list included: Joshua, Ethan, Matthew, Daniel, Christopher, Andrew, Anthony and William.