News Release
10/16/96

Jacob & Emily: Top Baby Names in Michigan, Need Immunizations

If you had a baby boy and you named him Jacob, you were on the same wave length as 1,655 other Michigan parents in 1995. If you called your infant girl Emily, you were definitely in style because 1,036 other Michigan families did likewise, the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) reported today.

Also among the top five name choices were, for boys, Michael, Tyler, Nicholas and Austin; and, for girls, Ashley, Jessica, Taylor and Samantha.

There were 134,169 births in Michigan in 1995 -- 68,758 boys and 65,402 girls -- according to the MDCH Office of the State Registrar.

"All of these babies are precious, whether their name is first on the list or last," said MDCH Director James K. Haveman, Jr. "We need to protect each and every one of them from potentially fatal childhood diseases. Be sure to stay on schedule with your child's immunizations. Ask your health care provider at every visit if your child needs a vaccination. It takes only five visits before age two to get full protection against childhood disease." When it comes to favorite names, Haveman acknowledged that he's partial to Nicholas, fourth most popular for boys, and Jackson, 180th on the list. "I am very proud of my grandsons," Haveman said. "Nick is two-and-a-half and Jack is seven months. And they're both on schedule with their immunizations."

The 25 most frequently given names: http://www.mdch.state.mi.us/pha/osr/names95.htm