Jacob held on to the top spot for baby boy names for the 10th year in a row, while Emma ousted Emily as America’s favorite name for a baby girl

Very popular in the late 1800s, Emma fell out of the Top 300 in the 1970s.  But Emma came roaring back in the past seven years, always finishing in the Top 5. Emily had been the most popular baby girl name since 1996.  Each gender also got a new addition to its “Top 10″ list. Alexander (number 6) joined the boys’ club, and Chloe (number 10) joined the girls’ rankings.

A list of baby names is complied every year the Social Security Administration, based on the names of babies applying for Social Security numbers. (Most children receive their numbers at birth.)  More than 4.2 million births were registered in 2008. (The rankings are based strictly on spelling, not how the name sounds. For example, the names Kaitlin, Kaitlyn, Kaitlynn, Katelin, Katelyn, Katelynn and Katlyn are considered separate entries.)

The latest Top 10 names for baby girls: (based on 2008 statistics)

1. Emma
2. Isabella
3. Emily
4. Madison
5. Ava
6. Olivia
7. Sophia
8. Abigail
9. Elizabeth
10. Chloe

The Top 10 names for baby boys: (based on 2008 statistics)

1. Jacob
2. Michael
3. Ethan
4. Joshua
5. Daniel
6. Alexander
7. Anthony
8. William
9. Christopher
10. Matthew

Are you curious how this list compares to the “Top 10″ list 50 years ago? Compare today’s list with the one from 1958:

1. Mary
2. Susan
3. Linda
4. Karen
5. Patricia
6. Debra
7. Deborah
8. Cynthia
9. Barbara
10. Donna

The Top 10 boys’ names in 1958 were:

1. Michael
2. David
3. James
4. Robert
5. John
6. William
7. Mark
8. Richard
9. Thomas
10. Steven

Source: The Today Show