Celebrity baby name boom in Britain

An increasing number of British parents are choosing to follow the example of their favourite celebrities when it comes to naming their babies. The most frequently-copied name for boys is Lennon, the name of Patsy Kensit's son with Oasis front-man Liam Gallagher, who was named after the late Beatle John Lennon. At the last count 230 baby boys had been given this name. In second place for copied boys' names is Brooklyn, the name of Victoria and David Beckham's eldest son. Some 185 baby boys have been given this name, while 29 and 21 have been christened with the names of the other Beckham children, Romeo and Cruz, respectively.

Meanwhile top of the list of celebrity-inspired girls' names was Lola, the nickname given to Madonna's eldest daughter Lourdes Maria, while Lexie, the name of Steven Gerrard and Alex Curran's little girl, came in second place.

There have also been 12 baby girls names Shiloh, after Brad Pitt and Angelina's daughter, and five Suris, which is the name of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' child.

Faye Mingo, who compiled the list from a nationwide database of registered baby names, commented: "Our records show that parents are increasingly creative about the names they choose and many are taking their inspiration from the names that celebrities give to their children.

"Some of these names work well and perhaps reflect the aspirations that parents have for the children, but some could sound a little ridiculous when you hear them shouted out in the supermarket."