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Reality TV gives birth to popular baby names

WASHINGTON — Reality TV is giving birth to some of the most popular baby names. No, not Snooki. But Mason, as in Kourtney Kardashian’s son, jumped 10 spots to become the second most popular name for newborn boys in 2011.

The more traditional Sophia is the new top name for girls, while Jacob is No. 1 for boys for the 13th straight year, according to the list released Monday by the Social Security Administration.

Kardashian, the reality TV star, gave birth to Mason in December 2009 following a heavily publicized pregnancy. In 2010, Mason jumped from No. 34 to No. 12. Last year, 19,396 baby boys were named Mason, an increase of nearly 4,600, by far the biggest jump for any name.

“It shows what we’re paying attention to, what we’re thinking about,” said Laura Wattenberg, creator of the website babynamewizard.com. “Today, you can’t walk through a supermarket without learning more than you hoped to know about the Kardashian family. That’s just reality.”

Rounding out the top five for boys: William, Jayden and Noah. Michael came in sixth, the lowest ranking since 1948.

Isabella, which had been the top girl’s name for two years, dropped to second place in 2011. Emma, Olivia and Ava rounded out the top five.

The fastest rising name for girls: Briella, which jumped 394 spots, to No. 497.

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