What's in a name? Mount St. Mary's & Catholic Health announce most popular baby names for 2018

It’s probably one of the first decisions parents make – sometimes long before their baby is born. What to name the new bundle of joy?

Whether the name is after a beloved family member, popular celebrity or famed sports hero, or just a name parents like, most put a lot of thought into picking just the right moniker for their son or daughter.

At Mount St. Mary’s Hospital, Emma and Alexander topped last year’s list of most popular baby names for females and males. Other female baby names in the top 10 were Gianna, Lillian, Isabella, Norah, Reagan, Savannah, Chloe, Amarah and Aurora. Baby male names in the Top 10 were James, Robert, Nehemiah, Nicholas, Theodore, Wyatt, Liam, Lucas and Jayden.

Throughout Catholic Health, which includes births at Sisters of Charity Hospital, Mercy Hospital of Buffalo, and Mount St. Mary’s Hospital, the top female name was Emma, while the top male name was Lucas.