at WWW.SOCIALSECURITY.GOV

The Social Security Administration today announced the most popular baby names in South Carolina for 2009. Continuing a popular Mother’s Day tradition, last Friday the federal government’s top official for baby names, Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, announced the nation’s most popular baby names.

How does South Carolina compare to the rest of the country? William and Emma topped the list. Nationally, Isabella and Jacob were the most popular baby names.

Please go to Social Security’s website -- www.socialsecurity.gov -- to see the top baby names for 2009. The top five boys and girls names for 2009 in South Carolina were:

Boys: Girls:

1) William 1) Emma

2) Jayden 2) Madison

3) Christopher 3) Isabella

4) James 4) Olivia

5) Jacob 5) Abigail

New to the website this year is an exclusive video of Chubby Checker counting down the most popular names of the past decade. Chubby also has information about a new “twist” in the law that may help an older relative or neighbor get an average of almost $4,000 of extra help with Medicare prescription drug costs.

In addition to each state’s top 100 baby names, Social Security’s website has a list of the 1,000 most popular boys’ and girls’ names for 2009 and a list of the top 100 names for twins born in 2009. The website also offers lists of baby names for each year since 1880.

To read about this year’s winner for biggest jump in popularity, how The First Family and “Twilight” affect baby names, and whether or not Elvis still lives, go to www.socialsecurity.gov/pressoffice/pr/baby-names2009-pr.htm .