Celebrities are exerting a big influence on what parents choose to name their newborns, according to a Web-site analysis.
Sure, old standbys Jacob, Ethan and Michael were the top boy names in 2010, while Isabella, Sophia and Emma were favorites for girls, according to the Social Security Administration.
But Pam Satran, the developer of the nameberry.com Web site, notes that Pippa came to sudden prominence after Pippa Middleton caught the world’s attention at the wedding of her sister Kate to Britain’s Prince William in April.
And Elula, the name of the daughter of Isla Fisher and Sasha Baron Cohen, was not in the database in 2010, but is the 38th most searched-for name in 2011 so far, Satran said.
Other celeb-inspired names this year include Mila, for actress Mila Kunis, and Flynn, chosen by actor Orlando Bloom and his wife, Miranda Kerr, for their son.