Isabella and Michael have won the New York name game.
Isabella tops the latest list of most popular names for baby girls across the state, knocking Emily out of the top spot, the Social Security Administration reported yesterday.
Michael remained in first place for boys.
Nationally, Emily and Jacob were the most popular baby names in 2007, according to the feds.
Isabella and Michael were both in second place on the national list.
In New York, the same five names for girls and boys have topped the list for the past two years, albeit in different orders.
Sophia came in second place in 2007 – up three spots compared to 2006.
Emily, down three places compared to 2006, finished as the third most popular girls’ name.
Experts said the staying power of the top five names could have something to do with their appeal to multiple ethnic and religious groups.
“The New York list always shows some divergence from the overall US list, partly because of ethnicity,” said Pamela Redmond Satran, co-author of “Cool Names for Babies.”
“That’s one reason you see names like Isabella and Sophia being so popular here.”
On the boys’ list, Christian names continue to dominate. Matthew stayed in second place, followed by the non-Biblical Anthony, which surged ahead of Joseph for third place.