NEW mums and dads in Ipswich are blazing a trail when it comes to naming their newborns.

NEW mums and dads in Ipswich are blazing a trail when it comes to naming their newborns.

Doting parents showed they were more imaginative than the rest of the UK by bucking the national trend in the baby-naming stakes.

Harry was the most popular name for boys born here in the last year, while Poppy was the favourite for baby girls.

The nation's most popular girl's name, Olivia, didn't even make it into the top 10 list compiled by child trust fund provider, The Children's Mutual.

A review of almost 150,000 new trust fund holder names revealed that girl's names are more imaginative, more varied and less traditional than popular boy's names, which have remained much the same for the past two years.

For a second year Jack maintained its position as the most popular boy's names in the UK but only managed fourth place in Ipswich, below Harry, Oliver and Charlie.

Meanwhile, the Top 10 list of names for girls has included new entrants every year for the last three years, with Evie making an appearance for the first time in 2009.

Tony Anderson, marketing director at The Children's Mutual, said: “We've had lots of new children on our books in the past 12 months and it's always interesting to see how the trends in babies' names change each year.

“We realise that choosing a name can be daunting for parents as they want to give their child the best start in life.

“Hopefully our research will give them a little more information to use when trying to reach that decision.”

The Children's Mutual has an online 'Baby Name Finder', at www.thechildrensmutual.co.uk/babynames, where parents can search for a name alphabetically and find out their different meanings.

Can your child claim to have the most unusual name in Ipswich? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk

Most popular names for boys and girls in Ipswich and the UK as a whole:

IPSWICH

Boys Girls

Harry Poppy

Oliver Sophie

Charlie Amelia

Jack Evie

Samuel Lily

Alfie Mia

Joshua Matilda

William Emily

James Megan

George Ruby

NATIONWIDE

Boys Girls

Jack Olivia

Oliver Emily

Thomas Sophie

Harry Jessica

James Ruby

Daniel Grace

Joshua Chloe

William Lily

Samuel Amelia

Charlie Evie