Maliyah? More Americans are Naming their Daughters After Malia and Sasha Obama
More Americans are following the lead of President and Michelle Obama when it comes to naming their daughters, the Social Security Administration said Friday.
"Maliyah," a version of the name "Malia" that the president and first lady gave their oldest daughter, made the biggest jump in popularity among girls names in 2009, moving 342 spots up to No. 296.
The name "Malia" moved up 153 spots to No. 192.
Meanwhile, "Sasha," the name of the Obamas' younger daughter, came in at No. 261 - having moved up 101 spots.
There was no bounce for the first lady: The name "Michelle" actually dropped one spot to No. 104.
As for "Barack," it remains an unpopular name, coming in at No. 1,993 - though that's up from No. 2,424 the previous year.
"Before the president came on the scene, Barack was at the absolute bottom of the list, and it does take a while usually to move up," Social Security Commissioner Michael J. Astrue said, according to the Associated Press. "Most politicians will take an increase however they get it."
The most popular baby names last year were "Jacob" for boys and "Isabella" for girls.
