Top Baby Names of 2011

In my life I am surrounded by children and they're all as different as their names. Now, three of my friends are going to have babies this year. Two are keeping the names under wraps and one hasn't decided so I am here to help. Here is a list of the most popular baby names. 

If you're thinking of going with traditional names or something more "new wave" here are the Top Ten Baby Names of 2011.

Jacob is the most popular baby name for the 13th straight year and you can thank Kourtney Kardashian for the number two name, Mason. William, Jayden, Noah, Michael, Ethan, Alexander, Aiden and Daniel round out the top ten. At St. Cloud Hospital, the most popular boys names are Carter, Mason, Blake, Jackson, Jacob, William, Evan, Noah and Benjamin.

Sophia, Isabella, Emma, Olivia, Ava, Emily, Abigail, Madison, Mia and Chloe are the top baby names for girls. Locally, the top baby names for girls is Abigail followed by Emma, Ella, Sophia, Chloe, Grace, Zoey, Ava, Olivia and Aubrey round out the top ten.

The trend for baby names in 2012 seems to be heading toward the heroic and fierce. With the new Hunger Games franchise, expect names inspired by the book. Expect names like the butt-kicking heroine Katniss, or names like Gale or Peeta which are the two main boys in Katniss’s life. There are also a host of secondary characters. Their names are Rue, Primrose, Effie, Haymitch and Cato. Royal inspired names are also expected to be big, so watch for Catherine and William to gain popularity.

So, when naming your baby, what strategy did you use? Did you go with the old tried and true? Did you deviate from the hot baby names because you don't want your child's name to be too popular or do you go for the modern and trendy names?