William, Isabella Take Top Spots As Tennessee's Most Popular Baby Names For 2010

 

Nashville, TN (2011-01-07) William’s the winner for four years running, but Tennessee parents of new baby girls put Isabella at the top of the list as the most popular names for children born in 2010. While the most popular names for baby girls born in Tennessee remained largely unchanged from the previous year, the list of top names chosen for boys born in 2010 includes two newcomers.

            The top ten names Tennessee parents chose for their new babies born in 2010* are as follows:

 

Rank                 Girls                     Boys

 

1                               Isabella                         William

2                               Emma                           Jacob

3                               Madison                       Elijah

4                               Abigail              James

5                               Olivia                           Noah

6                               Addison (tie)                Ethan

7                               Ava (tie)                       Jackson

8                               Chloe                           Jayden

9                               Sophia              Christopher

10                             Elizabeth                       Aiden

*provisional data

 

William has been the top choice for boys’ names in Tennessee since 2007. Isabella rose up the ranks from the third spot in 2009, replacing last year’s top choice of Emma for girls’ names. Sophia is a new addition to the most popular girls’ names for 2010, with Emily getting bumped from the top ten list. There are two newcomers in the top ten names for boys: Jayden and Christopher. Joshua and Michael were both included in the top ten list for 2009, but dropped from the list in 2010.

            Provisional birth data for 2010 also show the average age of Tennessee women giving birth last year as 26.6 years. Nearly 59 percent of women who had babies in Tennessee in 2010 had previously had a child, and 41 percent were first-time mothers. The vast majority of Tennessee births, 98.9 percent, took place in a hospital.

            The Department of Health reminds all Tennesseans that the best way to ensure a healthy baby is to start with healthy parents. Preconception health is vital to positive pregnancy outcomes. All women of childbearing age should be sure to consume the recommended amount of 400 micrograms of folic acid daily, even if they’re not currently planning to become pregnant. Folic acid helps reduce the risk of neural tube defects, including spina bifida and anencephaly, if taken in adequate amounts before becoming pregnant and during the very early weeks of pregnancy.

Although all enriched cereals and grain products in the United States are fortified with the B vitamin folic acid, only one third of American women of childbearing age consume the recommended daily amount. Taking a multivitamin with folic acid every day is a simple way for women to get the optimum dosage.

            Stopping tobacco use is another important part of improving overall health for prospective parents. The Department of Health offers smoking cessation programs at all Tennessee county health departments, and places a special emphasis on assisting pregnant women who smoke. For more information, contact your local health department. A list of county health department locations and contact information can be found online at http://health.state.tn.us/localdepartments.htm. 

            The Tennessee Tobacco QuitLine also offers free counseling and support to all Tennessee residents who want to quit smoking or using other tobacco products. Learn more about this service by calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW or visiting the QuitLine website at http://health.state.tn.us/tobaccoquitline.htm.