Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, jointly announced with Parade magazine the most popular baby names for 2007. Parade also is highlighting the Social Security Administration’s Mother’s Day campaign to inform people with limited income about the extra help available with their Medicare prescription drug costs. That extra help is worth up to $3,600 per year.

Please click on the Most Popular Baby Names link at the Social Security’s website to see the top baby names for 2007. The top ten boys and girls names for 2007 are:

Boys	Girls
Jacob	Emily
Michael	Isabella
Ethan	Emma
Joshua	Ava
Daniel	Madison
Christopher	Sophia
Anthony	Olivia
William	Abigail
Matthew	Hannah
Andrew	Elizabeth

Emily has topped the list since 1996. Jacob has done so since 1999. Elizabeth returns to the top ten after a two year absence.

In addition to a list of the 1,000 most popular boys’ and girls’ names for 2007, the website has a list of the top 100 names for twins born in 2007. Jacob and Joshua are again the most popular twin’s names.

The Social Security website offers lists of baby names for each year since 1880. Social Security started compiling baby name lists in 1997.

Although “American Idol’s” Sanjaya did not influence this year’s list, other young celebrities influenced the naming of American children. The 2007 success of popular race car driver Danica Patrick undoubtedly inspired her first name moving from number 352 to number 307. Similarly, the name of the first pick in the 2007 NFL draft, Oakland Raiders’ quarterback JaMarcus Russell, rose from number 914 to number 743 on the boys’ list.

Shiloh, the youngest daughter of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, debuted on the list at number 804. Maddox, the name of their oldest child, has seen steady gains since first appearing on the list in 2003 at number 583 and now ranking at number 226. Suri, the name of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' daughter, did not make the list. But Britney Spears' second son is named Jayden, which ranked at number 18. Miley is new to the girls’ list this year, entering fairly high at number 278, attributable to the popularity of teen sensation Miley Cyrus.