Popular Baby Girl Names 2011

According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), the latest results for Top 10 Baby Girl Names include Isabella, Emma, Olivia, Sophia, Eva, Emily, Madison, Abigail, Chloe and Mia. The department's data is the most accurate, seeing that parents have to register their child's name in order to obtain a social security number. Whether you are looking to avoid the most popular baby names or would like to make the selection process easier, the SSA is a great source of information.

If you visit BabyNames.com, you will notice that many of the SSA's results are among many parents' top choices as well. The site lists Sofia, Charlotte, Ava, Addison, Olivia, Amelia, Lily, Isabella, Chloe and Bailey as the Top 10. By taking a close look at these baby girl names, it is obvious that new parents are giving their little girls distinctive names, as opposed to common ones.

To learn the meanings of these popular baby names, you can turn to Name-Meanings.com or BehindtheName.com for detailed information. For example, the name Ava means 'like a bird', while Emma stands for 'universal' and Sophia means 'wisdom.' Most of these baby girl names are derived from Greek and Latin sources. Understanding the meaning of a name allows new parents to make an informed decision.

Your baby's entire personality and life can be shaped by the name you give them. Selecting the perfect one should never be a rushed decision. Many parents pick out a couple of names and wait until the birth to make their final choice, as it affords them the opportunity to get to know their newborn first. No matter the strategy that you decide to go with, there are many different websites and books that can help guide you through the baby name selection process.

Sources: Most Popular Baby Names -- BabyNames.com, http://www.babynames.com/Names/Popular; Popular Baby Names -- Social Security Administration, http://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames