Arts & Entertainment

Does Emma or Mason Sound Like a Royal Baby Name?

They may not be the most popular names in Kate Middleton's home, but they were the most popular Minnesota baby names in 2012. Explore our database of Minnesota baby names from 1910 to 2012.

Article by James Warden.

Long before Kate Middleton was admitted into the hospital to have the royal baby, speculation was running rampant on what she would name the baby.

We may not know what names she and Prince William will choose, but Social Security Administration data offers a look at what names are popular stateside—including in Minnesota.

Find out what's happening in Eden Prairiewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In 2012, Emma was the most popular girl’s name, while Mason was the most popular boy’s name.

Go back a decade to 1982, the year Kate Middleton was born, and the most popular Minnesota girl’s name was Jennifer, with 1,122 babies receiving that name.  That same year there were just 79 Catherines (Kate’s given name)—although there were also 258 Katherines.

Find out what's happening in Eden Prairiewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

William was born the same year. In 1982, the most popular Minnesota boy’s name was Matthew, with 1,317 babies receiving that name. His name was more popular here than his wife’s. The Social Security Administration recorded 288 babies with that name in 1982.

The data comes from the Social Security Administration, which released baby name data for all 50 states and the District of Columbia for the same period.

The government excluded names used fewer than five times in a year in order to protect privacy.

The information comes from people who applied for Social Security cards and were born in the United States after 1879. As the SSA notes, "many people born before 1937 never applied for a Social Security card, so their names are not included in our data. For others who did apply, our records may not show the place of birth, and again their names are not included in our data."

Use the search boxes above to browse through the most popular names over the years. 

(NOTE: Viewing this on a mobile device and can't see the search tools above? Click here instead.)


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Eden Prairie