Top baby names: Emma, Mason in Pa.; Michael, Sophia in NJ

There were 581 new Michaels born in New Jersey last year, making it the most popular name for baby boys in the state for 50 straight years.

For girls in New Jersey, Sophia was the most popular baby name in 2014, with 540 births, according to newly released data from the Social Security Administration.

In Pennsylvania, the 877 new Emmas made that the most popular baby name for girls for the third-straight year, the SSA data shows.

Mason was most popular for boys born in the state in 2014, with 788 babies given that name. It's been the top name for baby boys in Pennsylvania since 2011.

Michael's popularity in New Jersey is unusually longstanding: It's been tops for boys every year all the way back to 1964, when John was most popular, according to SSA data.

Sophia has ranked first or second for girls in New Jersey since 2010.

In contrast to Michael's pervasiveness for baby boys in New Jersey, the most common names for girls in that state, and for both boys and girls in Pennsylvania and nationwide, have changed over multiple times in the past five decades.

Fifty years ago, the last time Michael didn't top New Jersey's list for boys, Lisa was the most common name for girls - in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and nationwide. But Michael was most popular for boys in Pennsylvania and the country as a whole that year.

Ten years later, in 1974, Michael was tops for boys while Jennifer was the most common for girls on all three lists.

And looking back on a decade ago, in 2004, Emily was the most popular name for baby girls in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and the nation. Michael remained No. 1 on Pennsylvania and New Jersey's lists, but had been overtaken nationally by Jacob.

Pennsylvania's most popular names for girls illustrate the turnover that's possible: In the past decade alone, Emily, Ava, Isabella, Sophia and Emma have all taken turns at the top of the list.

For the United States overall, the top baby names in 2014 were, in order: Noah, Liam, Mason, Jacob and William for boys, and Emma, Olivia, Sophia, Isabella and Ava for girls.

Here are the top 10 names for boys and girls born in Pennsylvania and New Jersey in 2014:

Pennsylvania boys

1. Mason

2. Liam

3. Noah

4. Michael

5. Jacob

6. Logan

7. Benjamin

8. Joseph

9. Lucas

10. James

Pennsylvania girls

1. Emma

2. Olivia

3. Ava

4. Sophia

5. Isabella

6. Mia

7. Charlotte

8. Abigail

9. Emily

10. Madison

New Jersey boys

1. Michael

2. Matthew

3. Joseph

4. Liam

5. Daniel

6. Alexander

7. Noah

8. Jacob

9. Anthony

10. Ethan

New Jersey girls

1. Sophia

2. Olivia

3. Emma

4. Isabella

5. Mia

6. Ava

7. Emily

8. Sofia

9. Abigail

10. Madison