‘Liam’, ‘Emma’ Wyoming’s most popular baby names in 2012
by Wyoming Department of Health
May 6, 2013
"Liam" filled the number one spot on the most popular names list for new Wyoming baby boys last year while "Emma" remained the top choice for girls’ names, according to the Wyoming Department of Health’s Vital Statistics Services Program.
Liam moved up from the number six slot to replace William as the first choice last year. For 2012 in Wyoming, Liam was followed by Mason, William, Logan and Wyatt.
For girls, Emma was the most popular choice of both last year and 2011, followed by Sophia, Elizabeth, Madison and Olivia.
"One phenomenon we’re seeing is that ‘alternative’ spellings of names seem to be very popular among new parents," said Jim McBride, Vital Statistics Services Program manager with the Wyoming Department of Health.
McBride noted the alternative spelling "Jaxon" was in the top ten followed by the more traditional spelling of "Jackson." Other variations of the name included Jaxxon, Jaxen and Jaxson. For girls, variations of the popular "Madison" included Madyson, Maddison, Madisyn and Madisen. When calculating the top names, the Vital Statistics Services Programs does not attempt to include all unique variations.
"Last year, total births were up somewhat over 2011," McBride said. The pro¬gram recorded 7,571 births to Wyoming resident mothers during 2012, which is increased slightly from 7,339 in 2011. The year’s largest baby arrived weighing 11 pounds and 15 ounces.
Wyoming’s teen birth rate (28.6 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19) continued to decline. From 2007 the Wyoming rate has shown about a 30 percent decrease. Wyoming’s infant mortality rate (4.6 per 1,000 births) also showed a decline from 2011 to 2012. "These results show we continue to make great strides in public health," said McBride.
The Vital Statistics Services Program promotes and protects the health of Wyoming by serving as the official custodian of all vital records in the state and by disseminating health information in support of health and social planning efforts. More Wyoming statistics and information about the program can be found online at http://www.health.wyo.gov/rfhd/vital_records/index.html.
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