Siri - the name of the 'personal assistant' app on iPhone - has risen 5% in popularity, and the name Apple has leapt 585 places up BabyCenter's chart this year.

 

The huge success of iPhone and iPad seem to be behind the new trend - BabyCenter describes the youngsters as 'iBabies'.

 

"The smart phone may just be the best parenting tool since diapers, and some moms and dads are paying homage¹ to industry leader Apple in their choice of baby names," says Linda Murray, the site's global editor in chief.

 

"The moniker Apple, though still an unusual choice, rose 15% for girls, vaulting² a whopping 585 spots."

 

"For boys, the name Mac jumped 12%. And parents sure like the sound of Siri: The company's voice-enabled personal assistant climbed 5% on the list of girl names."

 

Space-themed baby names - perhaps inspired by the publicity³ around NASA's Mars Curiosity Rover - also rose in popularity.

 

"It seems space was a huge naming inspiration for parents this year: Sky, Star, Luna, Skylar, Heaven, Stella, and Mars all flew higher than last year. BabyCenter moms aren't alone; celebrities⁴ like Uma Thurman – who named her daughter Luna – are looking to the sky as well," says Miller⁵.

 

Last week, a couple claimed to have called their baby Hashtag, after the Twitter term.

 

A Facebook post said, "Hashtag Jameson was born at 10 o'clock last nite. She weys 8pounds and i luv her so much!!!!!!"

 

Later, the authenticity⁶（真实性） of the post was disputed, with some claiming that the name was a fake, or a viral promotion⁷.

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