Fastest-Growing Baby Name: Arya From 'Game of Thrones'
A newly produced list of the most popular names on the rise suggests that television could largely impact how people name their children.
The name "Arya" saw one of the most significant shifts in popularity over the last year, jumping from the rank of 711 in 2011 to 413 in 2012 according to the United State's Social Security website. A girl's name, Arya, also so happens to be the name of a character in the "Game of Thrones"- a popular television drama.
But Arya isn't the only name remnant of a television character. The name Raelynn soared up 155 spots and went from being ranked 496 in 2011 to 341 in 2012. A contestant named Raelynn also appeared last year on "The Voice." She finished third on Blake Shelton's team. Skyler, a contestant on "American Idol" also gained popularity as a name.
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Boy's names seemed less impacted by television characters although some names of character's still gained in popularity. The name Gunnar rose 49 points from the 500 spot to 451 spot. Gunnar appears as a character on "Nashville." Two other character names on the show, Avery and Juliette, also became more popular over the last year.
A similar pattern occurred the year before after the "Twilight" movies gained in popularity. The names Jacob and Isabella shot up to number one spots. Isabella was still the fourth most popular baby name last year.
Of course other names could have nothing to do with television characters. The name "Major" for a boy jumped in popularity by 505 spots according to the list. It went from being ranked 988 in 2011 to 483 in 2012, but there is little explanation for why the name has suddenly become so popular.
The most popular names for 2013 so far are Liam, Noah, and Ethan for boys. Emma, Sophia, and Olivia were the most popular girl's names.
