Isabella, Jacob Are Most Popular Baby Names in SSA's 2009 List

Okay, Emma, Olivia -- take a time-out. Isabella was the most favored name for baby girls born in the U.S. last year, while Jacob held on as the most popular boys name for the 11th consecutive year.

The Social Security Administration, which keeps track of such things, noted that new parents didn't snub Emma and Olivia -- they were in the mix as the next most popular girls' names. And Malia, or Maliyah, was a big gainer, as many Americans chose names quite possibly inspired by one of President Obama's daughters (who spells it M-A-L-I-A). That version shot up 153 spots to 192 among girl names, and Maliyah rose 342 spots to 296, the AP said.

Baby names are often influenced by movie stars, political figures, pop culture and the Bible (see Noah, ranked ninth among boy names). So it was that in 2009 the fabulously popular teen movie "Twilight" -- about a vampire love affair -- made its mark. The lead female character in the film is named Bella, often short for Isabella. And even though Jacob was on top before the first "Twilight" book was published in 2005, it's worth mentioning that Jacob is another character in the saga.

The name Jacob is also part of a puzzling fascination with "J" names, especially for boys: Joshua was No. 6 last year and Jayden was No. 8. Ethan was second, and traditional favorite Michael, third.

"Anything can influence baby names, from pop culture to literature, to music and celebrities," Jennifer Moss (note: J name) told the AP. Moss is author of "The One-in-a-Million Baby Name Book" and founder of Babynames.com