America's Top Baby Names

For the last nine years, parents have been picking the same two names more than any others for their little boy or girl. What names you ask? Emily and Jacob. Nine years running. Wow. My kids names are Jonathan, Joshua, and Sara but they are 17, 18, and 19 so I named them in a different era. Emily has been the most popular girl's name since 1996. TWELVE years. My own name Susan is a dinosaur name. No one names their daughter Susan anymore. Come to think of it, I haven't met a nanny yet with my name and I have interviewed thousands. But here's why.....the nannies I meet have all been born after I graduated high school. There is nothing to make you feel old (and I am only 44) than to interview young beautiful vivacious nannies who were not even a twinkle in their dad's eye when I was valedictorian of my graduating class of 1982. These days I meet nannies for interviews with a briefcase full of old lady glasses, Milk of Magnesia, and hearing aids. Isn't getting old great? But back to the name thing. There was only one name in the top ten that was different from last year....Elizabeth which just squeaked in at number 10. So I salute all the babies out there by the names of Emily, Jacob, and Elizabeth. But my hat really gets tipped for the Susan's and Karen's out there as we are an endangered species.