United States of Emma: Most popular babies' names revealed state-by-state

Emma is the most popular baby name in the U.S., with parents in 22 states choosing it for their newbo girls.

It trumps Noah, the most popular name for American boys, which was only the top pick in nine states. according to new data from the Social Security Administration.

The ascendancy of Emma follows 11 years in the top 3 names for girls. It took the top spot in 2008, and also in the newly-released statistics recording baby names in 2014.

Massachusetts, Texas, Virginia and Pennsylvania were among the populous states which chose Emma above all other names.

For boys, Noah was the top pick in states including Califoia, Texas, Florida and Illinois, though Liam, Mason, Jacob and William also won the hearts of parents in many other states.

 

State by state: The above map shows which male and female baby name was the most popular in each area

The new information, published on the administration's website, shows a pronounced difference in taste across the country.

For boys, Noah swept the Southwest and also took Florida, while William was the favorite for many southe states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee and Georgia.

An earlier tranche of data, which gave the name details without a state-by-state breakdown, also revealed that British aristocratic names were swinging back into favor.

Charlotte, the name both Chelsea Clinton and Kate Middleton chose for their new daughters, made the top ten. Meanwhile James, another name with Royal favor, crept into 9th position.