Sophia and Jacob, Most Popular Baby Names

A list released this week shows the most popular baby names nationally in 2011 were Sophia and Jacob, according to the Associated Press.  The list is compiled by the Social Security Administration.

Jacob tops the list of popular boy names for the 13th straight year in a row, while Sophia nabbed the top spot, pushing Isabella to #2 after being numero uno for the past two years.

Isabella is followed by Emma, Olivia and Ava. For the boys, Mason, William, Jayden and Noah round out the top five.

The top five boys and girls names for 2011 in Connecticut were:         

Boys:                           Girls:       

1) Alexander             1) Sophia        

2) Michael                 2) Isabella        

3) Mason                   3) Olivia        

4) Ryan                  4) Ava        

5) Jacob                    5) Emma 

Laura Wattenberg, creator of babynamewizard.com, told AP that celebrities have an obvious influence over the names Americans choose for their children. Mason rose 10 spots last year following the birth of Kourtney Kardashian's son, while Briella jumped almost 400 spots after "Jerseylicious" reality TV star Briella Calafiore made her debut. Religion, according Wattenberg, also has a strong influence.