What to name baby? SSA has a new mobile app for that.

The Social Security Administration is putting thousands of baby names within easy reach with a new iPhone application.

Isabella, Sophia or Emma? Jacob, Ethan or Michael?

Whatever name you are considering for your baby, the Social Security Administration has a new application to help you decide.

SSA announced June 14 that it has launched its first mobile application, called Baby Name Playroom, available free at the Apple iTunes online store. The new SSA application works on the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.

With Baby Name Playroom, users can browse through more than 45,000 names and compile lists of their favorites.


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The application offers access to SSA’s lists of the 1,000 most popular baby names — male and female — for each year since 1880. In 2010, Isabella topped the girl’s list, followed by Sophia and Emma. Jacob led the boy’s list, followed by Ethan and Michael.

SSA compiles the lists annually based on the number of new registrations for each name.

With the mobile application, users can also search for a particular name to see where it ranks on the lists and play trivia games. Or they can press the Surprise Me button to get a randomly selected baby name — a potentially useful feature when family members can't agree on a name.

The application also provides information on applying for children’s, retirement and disability benefits and gives tips on financial planning.

SSA uploaded Baby Name Playroom to iTunes on May 15. As of June 20, it was unrated because not enough users had downloaded the application.