Reality TV, pop culture inspire 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, born in 2009, 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 yesterday by the Social Security Administration.

In 2010, Mason had 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 in 2011. Emma, Olivia and Ava rounded out the top five.

The Social Security Administration provides lists of baby names dating to 1880 on its website. -- AP