Sophia and Jayden surpassed Isabella and Daniel to become the most popular baby names in NYC, according to the Health Department's annual report [pdf] on infant nomenclature. 872 newborn males were named Jayden (the most popular name for black and Hispanic boys) and 511 newborn females were named Sophia (the most popular name among Asians). Madison became a new favorite for girls born to black families, while Ashley was the most popular girl’s name for Hispanic families. For white babies, Daniel is #1 for boys, and Olivia for girls. And as usual, there were some novelties in the mix. more ›

The Health Department has released their annual report on baby names in New York City, and among newborn boys the name "Jayden" is (almost) number one with a bullet, ranking #2 overall and #1 among black and Hispanic babies. Jayden wasn't even in the top ten in 2006, and baby name expert Laura Wattenberg shares a theory with City Room about the his stunning rise in popularity: Two years ago, one Jayden James Federline entered the world stage, the offspring of recording artist Britney Spears. “Britney Spears seems to have shifted the standard spelling. That name used to be spelled every which way, but now the ‘y’ spelling has become dominant,” Wattenberg says. more ›