Followers of the “Twilight” series are apparently reproducing.
For the first time ever, the name Bella cracked the Top 20 for the names that parents gave to their newborn girls born this year in Arizona. A year earlier, it managed to rank just 77th on the list.
But the popularity of the novels and the movies that have followed — and of heroine Bella Swan -- apparently does not translate across the gender barrier when parents are choosing names for their sons.
The popularity list provides no indication of who is on “Team Jacob’’ and who is on “Team Edward,’’ the names that fans of each of the two hot male leads have given their own groups. Viewers have divided their loyalties between the werewolf and the vampire.
It’s true that Jacob is the most popular name for boys. But that’s not new: It also placed there last year — and a decade earlier.
And Edward? Still not popular. It didn’t even crack the Top 100.
The latest report from the Arizona Department of Health Services shows little volatility among names for boys in the last decade.
Aside from Jacob, the top of the chart is populated by some names that have become standards like Michael, David, Christopher, Angel and Gabriel. Jose also has managed to remain in the Top 10 for the last decade.
That’s not to say that tastes don’t change among the parents of boys.
Last year Noah clocked in at just 25th on the list. Now it is No. 10.
To find some real trends, however, take a look at those who are now 35. There are lots of Bobs and Steves from that era. Now you’d have to go to 48th on the list to find a Robert. And you won’t find Steven at all.
The pattern is slightly different for girls, with names sometimes rocketing up in the rankings, often based on pop culture, only to drop back.
Consider the name Nevaeh, which rocketed into the Top 20 in 2007. Various sources credited the sudden increase in popularity with a decision by Sonny Sandoval, frontman for the Christian rock group P.O.D. — Payable On Death — to choose that name for his newborn daughter and take her on MTV in 2000.
It’s still somewhat popular, but not as much, sliding this year to 27.
And Jessicas and Jennifers, very popular at one time? Far down the list, with Jennifer only hanging on by a thread at No. 100.
| Most popular names for girls: | ||||
| 2010 | 2009 | 2000 | 1990 | 1975 |
| 1 -- Isabella | Isabella | Emily | Jessica | Jennifer |
| 2 -- Sophia | Sophia | Ashley | Ashley | Amy |
| 3 -- Mia | Mia | Samantha | Amanda | Michelle |
| 4 -- Emma | Emma | Alexis | Brittany | Heather |
| 5 -- Olivia | Emily | Jessica | Not named | Melissa |
| 6 -- Emily | Olivia | Hannah | Stephanie | Lisa |
| 7 -- Abigail | Abigail | Madison | Samantha | Stephanie |
| 8 -- Ava | Madison | Alyssa | Sarah | Angela |
| 9 -- Madison | Ava | Jennifer | Nicole | Christina |
| 10 -- Natalie | Samantha | Taylor | Jennifer | Rebecca |
| 11 -- Samantha | Natalie | Brianna | Elizabeth | Kimberly |
| 12 -- Victoria | Chloe | Victoria | Megan | Andrea |
| 13 -- Elizabeth | Alexis | Elizabeth | Danielle | Jessica |
| 14 -- Chloe | Ashley | Sarah | Kayla | Maria |
| 15 -- Alexis | Elizabeth | Lauren | Amber | Elizabeth |
| 16 -- Hailey | Alyssa | Abigail | Melissa | Veronica |
| 17 -- Addison | Victoria | Maria | Alyssa | Monica |
| 18 -- Camila | Valeria | Emma | Lauren | Shannon |
| 19 -- Ella | Brianna | Megan | Heather | Amanda |
| 20 -- Bella | Taylor | Sydney | Emily | Nicole |
| Most popular names for boys: | ||||
| 1 -- Jacob | Jacob | Jacob | Michael | Michael |
| 2 -- Anthony | Alexander | Michael | Christopher | Jason |
| 3 -- Daniel | Angel | Daniel | Joshua | Christopher |
| 4 -- Alexander | Daniel | Jose | Daniel | David |
| 5 -- Angel | Anthony | Joshua | Matthew | Robert |
| 6 -- Michael | Ethan | Anthony | David | Daniel |
| 7 -- Gabriel | David | Matthew | Andrew | James |
| 8 -- Jayden | Michael | David | Ryan | John |
| 9 -- Ethan | Aiden | Jesus | Not named | Brian |
| 10 -- Noah | Christopher | Andrew | Anthony | Matthew |
| 11 -- Aiden | Gabriel | Joseph | Joseph | Richard |
| 12 -- Jose | Jose | Christopher | Nicholas | William |
| 13 -- Joseph | Joshua | Brandon | Robert | Joseph |
| 14 -- Julian | Jacob | Tyler | Tyler | Steven |
| 15 -- Andrew | Noah | Nicholas | Jacob | Eric |
| 16 -- David | Logan | Zachary | Justin | Joshua |
| 17 -- Christopher | Matthew | Ryan | Kyle | Scott |
| 18 -- Adrian | Jesus | Angel | James | Aaron |
| 19 -- Joshua | Jayden | Gabriel | Jose | Jeremy |
| 20 -- Logan | Adrian | Alexander | John | Ryan |
Source: Arizona Department of Health Services
