Special to The Hays Daily News

Addison and Aiden were the most popular names given to newborns by Kansas parents in 2007. For the second consecutive year, the top name for girls and for boys is uni-gender. Last year was the first time since the state began compiling a list that the top name for both girls and boys was uni-gender.

Emma, Madison, Ava and Hailey join Addison in the five most popular girls' names list. New parents didn't stray much from past naming habits, with only one new entry in the girls' Top 10: Isabella. New names in the Top 25 were Avery, which entered the Top 25 for the first time, Alyssa and Chloe. Kaylee is the girl's name with the most spelling variation -- 31.

Aiden occupies the top spot on the boys list for the fourth year running. Jacob, in the top spot for nine years until 2004, remained at No. 5, behind Kaden, Ethan and Jackson. Kaden was the boy's name with the most spelling variation -- 28 -- and in 2007 parents preferred Kaden spelled with 'K.' The trend for Celtic and biblical boys' names continues with names such as Aiden, Brayden, Conner, Gavin, Kaden, Logan, Caleb, Daniel, Ethan, Isaac, Jacob, Joshua, Joseph, Noah and Samuel. The only new boy's name in the Top 10 was Christopher, and of the five new names that entered the Top 25, Gavin was the only first timer.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Division of Health's Center for Health and Environmental Statistics prepared this information. The lists are derived from birth certificate information that the Center's Office of Vital Statistics keeps on file. The list contains names with the same pronunciation, but different spellings, to give a more accurate view of name popularity.

Popular baby names are one of the more regularly requested items produced by the Center's Office of Health Assessment. While the list reflects popular culture and names frequently used in the media, other information from birth certificates and other vital records stored with the Center's Office of Vital Statistics is used to gauge health trends in the state.

The popular baby names list and a compilation of data from vital records, the Annual Summary of Vital Statistics, are available on the KDHE Web site at: www.kdheks.gov/ches/index.html. Basic customized statistics can be found at the Kansas Information for Communities Web site: kic.kdhe.state.ks.us/kic/. The Office of Health Assessment also prepares special data analyses on a fee-for-service basis.