Most Popular Baby Names Have Biblical Origins

Religion Today | Published: May 18, 2012

Most Popular Baby Names Have Biblical Origins

The list of America's most popular baby names for 2011, released last week by the Social Security Administration, reveals that biblical names are in, the Washington Post reports. Among the top 10 names for baby boys, four are from the Bible: Jacob, Noah, Michael and Daniel. Matthew and Elijah came in at numbers 12 and 13, respectively. For girls, variations on biblical names are also popular, with Isabella (the Spanish version of Elizabeth), Ava (a variation of Eve) and Abigail (an Old Testament character from 1 Samuel 25) making the top 10. According to Laura Wattenberg of BabyNameWizard.com, popular biblical names have shifted from the New Testament to the Old Testament. "The traditional biblical names were New Testament names -- John, James and Mary and Elizabeth," she said. "Today, the hot names are all names from the Old Testament precisely because they were neglected for so many generations."

Most Popular Baby Names Have Biblical Origins