Arizona parents are apparently far more willing to get creative in naming their newborn daughters than their sons.
The latest list from the Arizona Department of Health Services shows that Isabella was the most popular name for girls born this year in the state.
Five years ago, it was only No. 8 on the list. And a decade earlier it didn't even crack the Top 20.
Conversely, Emily, the top choice of parents in 2003, slipped to No. 4, beaten by Sophia and Emma.
But parents have been pretty much naming their baby boys from the same list for decades.
Consider Anthony. It's the top choice this year, up from No. 4 in 2007. But the name has been among the Top 20 going back more than two decades.
And much of the rest of the top boys names - names often with biblical links - are perennial favorites.
Daniel, for example, may be just No. 3 this year. But it has been at or near the top of the list going back to at least 1975.
That also is true of Michael.
The one big change among the names of boys has been cultural.
While some names, like Anthony, have no ethnic link, others which have become more popular are directly linked to the state's increasing Hispanic population.
José, which was nowhere near the Top 20 two decades ago, has consistently been in the Top 10 from the mid 1990s. And Jesús also has had a sharp increase in popularity.
The volatility in the names parents give their girls can be seen by comparing what was popular 35 years ago.
That year Jennifer was the most popular name for girls, a place it claimed again in 1983. Now it's 48th on the list.
Michelle, which was No. 2 in 1973, now checks in at No. 59. And Lisa, which was third that year, no longer appears among the top 100 most popular names for girls.
You don’t even have to go back that far to show the changes.
Jessica, the most-given name for girls in 1993, now is No. 38, though Ashley, which came in second, has kept some of its cachet, logging the No. 11 slot this year.
And Stephanie, which was among the 10 most popular in 1973, 1983 and 1993, did no better than 71 this year.
On the other side of the equation, some names are relative newcomers to the most popular list. Emma was not a name many Arizona parents gave their girls a decade ago; now it’s the third most popular.
Emily also has been a particular favorite of parents in recent years.
The other way volatility shows among girls’ names is those that appear to come out of nowhere, peak, and then start to fade.
Consider Nevaeh, which is “heaven” spelled backwards.
In 2003 it was No. 129 on the list. It rocketed to 34 in 2006 and 18 last year but now appears to be losing favor, sliding this year to 29.
What's the next name to rocket into the top 20? Hard to tell, though the name Genesis, not on the 2007 Top 100 list, came out of nowhere to hit No. 33 this year.
While many of the most popular names for boys have been perennials, there are some names that have fallen out of favor.
In 1973, John was No. 7 on the list. It has fallen to 41.
Robert, the fifth most popular name that year, now is No. 50.
And Jason, fourth in 1973 — behind the ever-popular Michael, Christopher and David — is all the way back at 81.
Baby names for boys
Rank / Name / Frequency / 2007
1 / Anthony / 540 / Angel
2 / Angel / 470 / Jose
3 / Daniel / 468 / Daniel
4 / Michael / 445 / Anthony
5 / Jacob / 439 / Jacob
6 / Alexander / 423 / David
7 / Ethan / 412 / Luis
8 / Jose / 396 / Ethan
9 / Joshua / 392 / Michael
10 / David / 374 / Christopher
11 / Andrew / 367 / Joshua
12 / Jesus / 364 / Alexander
13 / Christopher / 363 / Jesus
14 / Aiden / 359 / Andrew
15 / Joseph / 358 / Gabriel
16 / Gabriel / 357 / Joseph
17 / Adrian / 329 / Jonathan
18 / Luis / 315 / Noah
19 / Matthew / 311 / Christian
20 / Jayden / 296 / Logan
21 / Jonathan / 293
22 / Carlos / 290
23 / Christian / 289
24 / Nathan / 289
25 / Noah / 288
26 / Ryan / 278
27 / Brandon / 274
28 / Samuel / 272
29 / Isaac / 269
30 / Logan / 252
31 / Isaiah / 249
32 / Dylan / 244
33 / William / 244
34 / Diego / 243
35 / Benjamin / 241
36 / Julian / 240
37 / Elijah / 234
38 / Kevin / 233
39 / Gavin / 231
40 / Juan / 231
41 / John / 226
42 / James / 223
43 / Nicholas / 218
44 / Tyler / 205
45 / Mason / 199
46 / Jackson / 197
47 / Xavier / 197
48 / Jack / 195
49 / Miguel / 194
50 / Robert / 188
51 / Alejandro / 187
52 / Brody / 185
53 / Aaron / 184
54 / Caleb / 183
55 / Connor / 179
56 / Sebastian / 175
57 / Zachary / 169
58 / Jordan / 160
59 / Landon / 159
60 / Luke / 156
61 / Evan / 154
62 / Justin / 150
63 / Bryan / 149
64 / Wyatt / 145
65 / Dominic / 144
66 / Austin / 140
67 / Aidan / 138
68 / Victor / 138
69 / Adam / 137
70 / Brian / 135
71 / Chase / 135
72 / Jorge / 134
73 / Tristan / 134
74 / Francisco / 130
75 / Nathaniel / 128
76 / Manuel / 127
77 / Oscar / 124
78 / Alex / 123
79 / Ricardo / 123
80 / Hunter / 122
81 / Jason / 122
82 / Damian / 120
83 / Eduardo / 120
84 / Brayden / 118
85 / Lucas / 118
86 / Antonio / 117
87 / Ayden / 116
88 / Thomas / 116
89 / Fernando / 114
90 / Ian / 114
91 / Cameron / 113
92 / Carter / 113
93 / Cesar / 111
94 / Not named / 111
95 / Andres / 110
96 / Ivan / 108
97 / Jesse / 106
98 / Alan / 105
99 / Erick / 105
100 / Owen / 105
Baby names for girls
Rank / Name / Frequency / 2007
1 / Isabella / 410 / Isabella
2 / Sophia / 396 / Emily
3 / Emma / 337 / Mia
4 / Emily / 334 / Sophia
5 / Mia / 316 / Ashley
6 / Abigail / 286 / Emma
7 / Madison / 283 / Madison
8 / Samantha / 277 / Ava
9 / Ava / 271 / Elizabeth
10 / Elizabeth / 269 / Samantha
11 / Ashley / 264 / Abigail
12 / Olivia / 250 / Natalie
13 / Alexis / 236 / Alyssa
14 / Natalie / 221 / Olivia
15 / Chloe / 217 / Hannah
16 / Alyssa / 204 / Alexis
17 / Brianna / 204 / Hailey
18 / Camila / 194 / Nevaeh
19 / Hailey / 189 / Brianna
20 / Victoria / 182 / Chloe
21 / Alexa / 174
22 / Valeria / 165
23 / Addison / 164
24 / Lily / 164
25 / Ella / 161
26 / Hannah / 161
27 / Grace / 154
28 / Taylor / 154
29 / Nevaeh / 152
30 / Kimberly / 147
31 / Evelyn / 145
32 / Savannah / 141
33 / Genesis / 139
34 / Ariana / 138
35 / Destiny / 135
36 / Sofia / 134
37 / Riley / 132
38 / Jessica / 128
39 / Angelina / 127
40 / Sarah / 127
41 / Andrea / 125
42 / Maria / 125
43 / Allison / 123
44 / Mariah / 122
45 / Jasmine / 121
46 / Kaylee / 120
47 / Brooklyn / 119
48 / Jennifer / 119
49 / Gabriella / 118
50 / Alexandra / 116
51 / Jocelyn / 114
52 / Vanessa / 113
53 / Brooke / 112
54 / Natalia / 111
55 / Arianna / 109
56 / Aubrey / 108
57 / Melanie / 108
58 / Layla / 107
59 / Michelle / 105
60 / Zoe / 104
61 / Audrey / 103
62 / Kayla / 102
63 / Makayla / 102
64 / Peyton / 101
65 / Lillian / 100
66 / Aaliyah / 99
67 / Kylie / 99
68 / Maya / 95
69 / Sydney / 95
70 / Not named / 93
71 / Stephanie / 93
72 / Giselle / 92
73 / Isabel / 90
74 / Serenity / 90
75 / Trinity / 90
76 / Morgan / 89
77 / Bella / 88
78 / Avery / 87
79 / Leah / 87
80 / Leslie / 87
81 / Mya / 87
82 / Isabelle / 86
83 / Lauren / 86
84 / Bailey / 84
85 / Madeline / 84
86 / Faith / 82
87 / Gianna / 81
88 / Melissa / 81
89 / Anna / 80
90 / Diana / 80
91 / Daniela / 79
92 / Jacqueline / 78
93 / Katherine / 78
94 / Nicole / 78
95 / Miranda / 77
96 / Kaitlyn / 76
97 / Gabriela / 75
98 / Payton / 74
99 / Alicia / 73
100 / Kate / 73
Source: Arizona Department of Health Services
