Top Baby Names of 2011: Celebrity Inspired?

May 14, 2012 -- intro: Sophia made its debut at the top of the most popular baby names for girls in America in 2011, knocking Isabella out of the top spot.

For the thirteenth year in a row Jacob was the most popular male baby name.

The top ten list for both girls and boys names were virtually identical to 2010, with one major exception. The boy name "Mason" appeared in the top ten for the first time, pushing Anthony out of the popular Top 10 club.

This sudden skyrocketing popularity for baby Masons may be a symptom of America's television habits, at least that's one hypothesis the Social Security Administration pointed to when announcing the most popular baby names of 2011 on Monday.

Here's a look at some of the biggest movers of the last year and the pop culture clues that could explain why.

quicklist: 1title: Masontext: America, apparently, is really keeping up with the Kardashians. After Kourtney Kardashian named her son Mason, the name blasted into the top 10 most popular baby names for the first time last year, rising to the No. 2 spot behind Jacob.

quicklist:2Title: BrantleyText: The boy name Brantley made the biggest leaps in 2011, jumping 416 places from a relatively obscure 736th most popular name to No. 320.

Brantley's chart hopping may be due in part to the Country Music chart-topper Brantley Gilbert, who sings the No. 1 country music hit song "Country Must Be Country Wide."

The jump could also be due, in part, to the University of Florida's quarterback John Brantley, who followed in college football star Tim Tebow's footsteps, becoming Florida's starting quarterback after Tebow went pro in 2010.

quicklist: 3Title: Harpertext: The girl name Harper saw a serious rise in popularity last year, breaking into the top 100 names after hopping 64 places.

Former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham and soccer star David Beckham gave the name to their first girl, who was born in July.

The couple's first son's name, Cruz, also rose in popularity last year from the 321st most popular boy name to the 300th. Cruz Beckham was born in 2005.

quicklist:4Title: XanderText: The boy name Xander nearly broke into the top 200 baby names of 2011 after "Mad Men" actress January Jones gave the name to her newborn son, whom she welcomed to the world in September.The name now ranks as the 205th most popular name of the past year, rising nearly 50 places.

quicklist:5Title: BennettText: While the boy name Bennett is only the 239th most popular baby name in America, it made a big showing in 2011, rising 40 places."30 Rock" star Jane Krakowski, who plays Jenna Maroney in the NBC comedy show, and fiancé Robert Godley gave named their son, who was born last April, Bennett.

"It's an English name on my fiancé's side," Krakowski told People magazine. "We went through all the names on both sides. He came out and he looked like a Bennett. It suited him."

quicklist: 6Title: PenelopeText: Krakowski's fellow "30 Rock" star Tina Fey gave birth to her second daughter, Penelope, last August. That girls' name rose 31 places to become the 169th most popular baby name of 2011. Fey's first daughter, Alice, also saw her name's popularity rice, jumping 30 places to break into the top 150 names.

quicklist: 7Title: Sophia and JacobText: Sophia and Jacob topped the list for the most popular baby names of 2011, according to the Social Security Administration's list released today. Here are the other names that round out the top ten lists for boys and girls.

Top Boy Names:

1. Jacob

2. Mason

3. William

4. Jayden

5. Noah

6. Michael

7. Ethan

8. Alexander

9. Aiden

10. Daniel

Top Girl Names:1. Sophia

2. Isabella

3. Emma

4. Olivia

5. Ava

6. Emily

7. Abigail

8. Madison

9. Mia

10. Chloe

See our slideshow of celebrities who may have inspired the names HERE.