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Arizona's most popular baby names

By Howard Fischer

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/knau/local-knau-659501.mp3

Phoenix, AZ – There always has been a certain volatility in the names
parents choose for their newborn girls. 40 years ago in
Arizona the list was populated with Jennifers,
Jessicas, Amys and Heathers. This year the list is
topped by Isabella, Emily, Ashley, Alexis and Samantha.
But the biggest change has come in the increasingly
more frequent decision of Arizonans to choose the name
Nevaeh -- or heaven spelled backwards. The meteoric
rise in the name's popularity appears to trace its
roots to 2000 when Sonny Sandoval, frontman for the
Christian rock group P.O.D. brought his newborn
daughter named Nevaeh onto an MTV broadcast. By 2003 it
was the 129th most popular girl's name in Arizona. Last
year it made it to 34th. This year it is all the way up
to 18. For boys there were no real surprises in the
names parents chose this year. Angel tops the list,
followed by Jose, Daniel, Anthony, Jacob and David. And
once again, this reporter's name is nowhere on the
list.

For Arizona Public Radio, this is Howard Fischer.

Most popular names for boys:
Rank / 2007 / Last year / 5 years ago
1 / Angel / Angel / Jacob
2 / Jose / Daniel / Jose
3 / Daniel / Anthony / Michael
4 / Anthony / Jacob / Daniel
5 / Jacob / Jose / Joshua
6 / David / Michael / Anthony
7 / Luis / Jesus / Jesus
8 / Ethan / Luis / Matthew
9 / Michael / Joshua / Joseph
10 / Christopher / Gabriel / David
11 / Joshua / David / Angel
12 / Alexander / Andrew / Andrew
13 / Jesus / Christopher / Christopher
14 / Andrew / Alexander / Luis
15 / Gabriel / Ethan / Tyler
16 / Joseph / Matthew / Ethan
17 / Jonathan / Jonathan / Gabriel
18 / Noah / Joseph / Jonathan
19 / Christian / Christian / Alexander
20 / Logan / Juan / Carlos

Girls
1 / Isabella / Mia / Emily
2 / Emily / Emily / Ashley
3 / Mia / Isabella / Alexis
4 / Sophia / Emma / Samantha
5 / Ashley / Ashley / Madison
6 / Emma / Madison / Alyssa
7 / Madison / Ava / Hannah
8 / Ava / Sophia / Jennifer
9 / Elizabeth / Samantha / Isabella
10 / Samantha / Alyssa / Emma
11 / Abigail / Abigail / Jessica
12 / Natalie / Alexis / Elizabeth
13 / Alyssa / Natalie / Brianna
14 / Olivia / Hannah / Maria
15 / Hannah / Elizabeth / Abigail
16 / Alexis / Hailey / Lauren
17 / Hailey / Brianna / Sarah
18 / Nevaeh / Alexa / Victoria
19 / Brianna / Olivia / Jasmine
20 / Chloe / Victoria / Taylor

-- Source: Arizona Department of Health Services