It is one of the toughest tasks for many parents to make, deciding what names to give their newly-born offspring. Should they call them after a relative in their family, a famous film star or maybe just someone whom they have grown to admire greatly over the years? Whatever choice they decide on is also something that the child will have to live with for the rest of their life ('Deed Poll' aside).

The latest top choices of baby names for boys and girls have been released recently in the United States, with Noah and Emma emerging as the most popular.

Which names made the top five?

The top 5 names for baby boys were:

  1. Noah

  2. Liam

  3. Mason

  4. Jacob

  5. William

Whereas for baby girls they were:

  1. Emma

  2. Olivia

  3. Sophia

  4. Isabella

  5. Ava

Where was the name 'Charlotte'?

The name 'Charlotte' did feature in the top ten, but given the American penchant for Britain's Royal Family, seems certain to gain in popularity over the next twelve months.

The newly born princess, Charlotte Elizabeth Diana is sure to have attracted some affectionate glances from Stateside in recent weeks. It seems that she has also drawn some rather unwarranted attention from a zoo in Japan, where a monkey was called 'Charlotte' after a public contest voted that name as their favourite for the new-born primate.

Film stars influence choices

It is believed that the silver screen may have influenced the choices. Well-admired actors and actresses starring in the 'Harry Potter' films, such as Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe (Daniel was number ten on the boys' list), could well have inspired the naming. 'The Hunger Games' could also have influenced some of the leading choices, with Liam Hemsworth playing one of the main characters (Gale Hawthorne) in the film series.

Religion still plays a role

Religion seems to have continued to have a bearing on some of the names, with Noah and Jacob having clear biblical connotations. The feature film 'Noah' was also released during 2014 and could well have captured the imagination of the cinema-loving public, to re-enforce the top boy's name selection.

The leading names were provided as a result of analysis by the US Social Security Administration.