Kourtney's Son Mason Joins Family Trendsetting Business as 2011 List Of Most Popular Baby Names Is Revealed

YWhen it comes to celebrity brand power, there's no beating the Kardashians. Kim and Kourtney and Khloe cast their influence on almost every aspect of our lives.
And when it comes to baby names it seems there's no exception.

The Kardashian effect: Mason stormed into the top ten boys names this year

In a list of the most popular baby names of 2011, Mason (like the son of Kourtney Kardashian) has stormed into the top ten.
In this year's survey the top tier for both sexes remained virtually unchanged. Aiden tops the boys’ list for the seventh consecutive year while Sophia clings tight to the girls' lead for the second year in a row.

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But up eight places from last year, Mason was in third place for boys.

Celebrity power: Kourtney Kardashian provided the inspiration for thousands of parents when her son Mason, left, was ring bearer at sister Kim's wedding. Right: Britney Spears' son is one of several Jaydens fuelling the trend for the boy's name

Acting as ring-bearer at aunt Kim's wedding raised the toddler's profile and having missed a season, he is back on our screens in the latest series of Kourtney and Kim Take New York.
The older generation also made their mark with the names Kimberly and Kendall (Kim's teenage sister) both seeing increases.
Other celebrity children also provided inspiration for new parents this year.

Influence: The Royal Wedding saw the name Pippa leap onto the list, up 45 per cent, from complete obscurity. US President Barack Obama's daughter Malia's name soared ahead, jumping 28 slots

TOP TEN GIRLS' NAMES

1. Sophia
2. Emma 
3. Isabella
4. Olivia
5. Ava
6. Lily
7. Chloe
8. Madison
9. Emily
10. Abigail

Liam (son of Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott) was number four while Jayden (son of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith) and Ava (daughter of Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe) both appear in the top 10 of 2011.
Harper (daughter of David and Victoria Beckham) went up to number 60.
Although politicians' names did not feature highly, those of their children did well: Bristol, Willow and Piper, the names of Sarah Palin's daughters, were all up. Malia (like Barack Obama's daughter) also rose.

TOP TEN BOYS' NAMES

1.  Aiden
2. Jackson
3. Mason
4. Liam
5. Jacob
6. Jayden
7. Ethan
8. Noah
9. Lucas
10. Logan

Dead celebrities seemed also to have a bearing on name choices. Jackson, like Michael, was number two for boys. Steve Jobs' full name - Steven - jumped 14 spots to 73.
Unsurprisingly the Royal Wedding saw Pippa leap onto the list, up 45 per cent, from complete obscurity. William and Kate also surged.
Based on the names of 300,000 babies born in 2011 to moms registered on the BabyCenter website, Aiden tops the boys’ list for the seventh consecutive year while Sophia holds tight to the lead for girls for the second year in a row.
'When it comes to baby names, close to 2 out of 5 moms find inspiration among famous people and celebrities,' said Linda Murray, BabyCenter Global Editor in Chief. 'Whether it’s the royal family or fist-pumping reality show stars, we’re seeing more and more pop culture influence throughout our Baby Names list each year.'
New trends this year include names from nature (Summer or Clover for girls, Rain or River for boys); and names with a Spanish influence, such as Xavier or Valentina, said Murray.