New York City's top baby names revealed by health department
'Emma' and 'Liam' were last year's favourite among parents in the Big Apple
The baby names most commonly selected by New York parents this year have been revealed by the city's Health Department.
2024's announcement of the same nature revealed that of all of the babies born in the Big Apple, 'Emma' had skyrocketed in popularity among female newborns, while 'Liam' was the most chosen moniker for baby boys.
This pair had previously topped the same list in the years 2016 and 2017.
"Every year, our list of the most popular baby names serves as a reminder of who we are as a city and who the next generation of New Yorkers will be," acting Health Commissioner Dr Michelle Morse explained this week.
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"We love to see so many little New Yorkers bringing hope and joy into the city."
She added: "As we enter the new year, we recommit ourselves to creating a New York City where our children can live long, healthy lives."
However, when it comes to this year's most popular names, NYC has enjoyed another shake-up.
When it comes to baby girls born over the last 12 months, the one that appears on registers the most was 'Mia'.
Of the 65,222 babies born in the 'city that never sleeps', 'Mia' was chosen a grand total of 422 times.
A short, popular moniker with a number of origins, 'Mia' can mean 'mine' in both Spanish and Italian, or 'beloved' and 'dear' in Slavic groups, who usually place an 'l' between the 'i' and the 'a'.
It is also thought to derive from the name 'Maria' - in Hebrew, 'Miryam' - meaning 'star of the sea'.
In recent years, 'Mia' has also served as a versatile nickname for names like 'Amelia', 'Emilia', and 'Maria' - though it is still popular as a standalone name due to its sweet and simple sound and spelling.
In the top 10, 'Mia' was followed by 'Emma', then in third place was 'Sophia', and in fourth, 'Leah'.
Also filling out the list were 'Isabella' in fifth, 'Zoe' in sixth, 'Olivia' in seventh', 'Chloe' in eighth, 'Sofia' in ninth, and 'Esther' in tenth.
For boys, the new number one was also announced as 'Noah', having been selected on a staggering 722 different occasions.
A Hebrew name meaning 'rest', 'comfort' or 'repose', 'Noah' is said to be derived from the word noach, famously associated with the Biblical patriarch who built the ark to survive the Great Flood.
Its gender neutrality makes it an increasingly popular baby name choice, with strong biblical roots symbolising peace and salvation.
'Liam' fell down to second place, 'Ethan' was pushed down to third, 'David' into fourth, and 'Lucas' into fifth.
'Jacob', meanwhile, cemented itself into sixth place, 'Joseph' into seventh, 'Aidan' into eighth, 'Dylan' into ninth, and 'Muhammad' in tenth.
Topics: Pregnancy, Parenting, Life, Real Life, True Life, US News
Rhianna Benson