Every year, more than four million babies are born in the United States. Some parents named their children based on family, cultural or religious traditions. Girls are often named after a family member but rarely their mothers. Sons, though, are often named after their fathers. Every year the Social Security Administration releases a list of the most popular baby names in America. Last year, Jacob was the most popular boy name and Emma the number one name for girls. These days, the choice of a baby name seems to be guided as much by individual desires as by tradition. This is shown in the fact that the most popular baby names are not as popular as they used to be. Researchers at San Diego State University in California did a study. They found that thirty-two percent of boys received one of the ten most popular names in 1955. The same was true for twenty-two percent of girls. By 2007, however, the numbers were down to less than ten percent of boys and only eight percent of girls. "People are more and more interested in finding unusual names. And now since we have the information on the Internet of what the most popular names are, the percentage of kids who get them actually is going down because people are able to avoid them much more successfully than they did before," said Cleveland Evans, a professor of psychology at Bellevue University. Parents can find plenty of advice on the Web and in bookstores about choosing a baby name. A lot has also been written about the possible effects that a name might have on a child's future. There are studies that suggest children with unusual names are more likely to be teased. Other studies suggest that as adults, they might be less likely to get called for a job interview. Yet other research suggests that giving a child an unusual name might help build character. What all this adds up to is a big responsibility for parents to consider what's really in a name. What can be inferred from the study of San Diego State University?
Parents' idea on giving babies names are changing with social development. Jacob was more popular than any other boy names in the United States of America. Sons and daughters are always named after their fathers or grandfathers. More people are delighted in using popular names in America nowadays