It was a busy year for the staff in the Obstetrics Department.

The department welcomed 386 newborns in 2017, topping last year’s mark of 361. The number of newborn boys topped the number of newborn girls 210 to 176.

What were the most popular names for 2017 at Passavant? For the boys it was Jackson; for the girls it was tie between Ava, Isabella and Emma. Nationally, Atticus and Olivia top lists as the most popular baby names for 2017. Three new names vaulted onto the Top Ten this year for each gender: Cora, Maia, and Amara for girls, and Theodore, Jasper, and Henry for boys. The girls' names that jumped furthest up the list in 2017 were Evelyn, Amara, Naomi, Ada, and Phoebe. For boys, names that rose 20 or more places were Leo, Harvey, Kai, Liam, Arthur, Cassius, George, Finn, Ryker, Louis, Harry, and Jude.

Passavant will celebrate 2018’s first newborn with a package of special gifts for the parents and baby.