Figures have been released today from the Office of National Statistics to say that Oliver for boys and Olivia for girls have topped the charts for the second year in a row as the most popular baby names in the UK.

A few facts about the name Oliver:

- A variation of the French name Olivier.

- Used in English-speaking countries since medieval times.

- Influenced by Oliver Cromwell, the 17th century British military leader who was lord protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland.

- A literary name for Charles Dickens' title character, "Oliver Twist."  Also popular in Scotland and Sweden.

A few facts about the name Olivia:

- William Shakespeare is credited with inventing the name for the rich heiress wooed by a duke in his play, "Twelfth Night".

- Possibly taken from the Latin word "oliva" which means "olive."

- The name was influenced during the 1970s by Australian singer and actress Olivia Newton-John and first entered the top 100 in 1990.

Below an image of the infamous Oliver Twist, 1968

Below an image of Olivia Newton John in the hit classic Grease, 1978

My 1st Years have noticed this trend occur with the personalised names used for each gift sold. Olivia and Oliver have been extremely popular names on the website and we can certainly see why they have been voted most popular names in the UK.

This is the second part of the 10 top tips on throwing the perfect baby shower.

6. Once a location is decided decorate it so that it provides a great atmosphere for the event. Paying attention to detail is vital here so ensure everything from the table decorations to balloons and candles if used are nothing short of perfect.

7. It is important to plan the day so everyone knows what to expect, perhaps you could arrange for some games to be played as they could also act as an ice breaker – not all of the attendees may know each other, as it isn’t necessary all of the woman’s friends are friends with each other too! Some suggestions for fun, ice breaking games could be to suggest names for the baby, guess the sex of the baby, or the weight of it when it is born.

8. Food and drink for the baby shower party should be designed with the expecting mother in mind. This means no alcohol either! Non-alcoholic cocktails and soft drinks are the way to go, with a good traditional cup of tea also working well. The food can’t be too formal as it would take away from the ‘gathering’ element of the day, so perhaps something like cupcakes, sandwiches, and other party food would work fine. Above all, the mother to be should feel spoilt by the spread of food and drinks as they should be completely to her liking.

9. The most important part of any baby shower is the baby gifts. These should be opened by the expecting mother when all the guests are present so everyone can see what has been bought for the baby.

10. Opening the gifts at the right time is a fitting climax to a wonderful day, but it can be a let-down if the gift doesn’t meet everyone’s expectations. It isn’t about the price of the baby gifts but how much thought has gone into them that counts. Trying to imagine what would look nice on a baby or what would be useful for it is a great way to choose the best baby gifts.
Something that can add that extra special touch to the baby shower is a personalised baby gift. Although true that the baby is not born yet however many parents like to know the sex of the baby in advance and subsequently choose a name, if you are privy to this information make use of it! Personalised baby gifts are a great way to show much you care and will go down a treat. It’s also fun and quirky to nominate a name, get a gift personalised to and give it anyway so it can be kept as a souvenir of what you wanted the baby’s name to be!

However you choose to arrange a baby shower, it should be a beautiful day for the expecting mother where all her closest friends and family rally around to make her feel special and loved, and so that the unborn child can feel the affection from the world it is yet to see from the outside.

Baby showers are quickly becoming fashionable events for new mothers to be as the trend has migrated from America to the UK and beyond. It is a happy, joyous occasion for the women where the pride and joy of becoming a mother and giving birth dawn upon expecting women, and they are inundated with well-wishers giving personalised baby gifts.

There may be many different ways women choose to celebrate the occasion, but the sense of excitement and caring at the baby shower does not erode from family to family.

As the tradition of throwing baby showers grows amongst the public, methods used by women for throwing the perfect baby showers are developing into guidelines each woman’s friends and family may follow.
Although sometimes the expecting woman would arrange her own baby shower party for friends and family, tradition dictates it is the women closest to the expecting mother who would arrange a surprise baby shower for other women close to the expecting mother.

If you are interested in learning how to throw the perfect baby shower for someone you know then read on:

1. The best time to throw the baby shower is during the last couple of months of the pregnancy, so the baby is developed and the bump at its peak!

2. Throwing a surprise baby shower is great but throwing an inconvenient baby shower isn’t – so make sure the invitees and the expecting mother are free on the day that you arrange the baby shower.

3. Take care in making sure all the women closest to the expecting mother are invited. It would not be a nice feeling to realise you have left someone important out and it will almost entirely wipe the gloss off the baby shower party.

4. Once you have picked a date and selected the invitees it is time to look at choosing a theme. Although not paramount to creating a perfect baby shower often themed showers are the most memorable; these can be based on something close and personal to the expecting mother such as a favourite colour or movie. This could influence the food and the dress code for example.

5. Choose a good location. The humble home is usually the first choice for such occasions and rightly so since it's comfortable and relaxing. However there are many bars, restaurants, and tea rooms that now cater for baby showers, so it will depend on the personality of the mother to be as to what she would prefer.

The next 5 steps for throwing the perfect baby shower will be posted in a few days!

Baby names have changed with the times, but the excitement when a new born child is having people tussle over what its name is going to be remains!

My 1st Years decided we’d step in and help at this delicate time, and bring you up to date with trends in the baby name’s world. We will be explaining some meanings, helping settle those niggling arguments about what's new & cool, and what you could possibly name that adorable baby of yours with the My 1st Years top 10 most popular baby names.

Setting us off starting at the bottom at number 10 is:
Olivia - girls
Quickly becoming more commonly used, it’s a sweet name that sounds lovely for babies and for grown-ups alike! Taken from the world ‘Olive’ it signifies fruitfulness, beauty, dignity, and peace.

Number 9:
Ethan – boys
A biblical name made cool by the character ‘Ethan Hunt’ from Mission Impossible, it means solid, enduring, strong and optimistic. It widely signifies more masculine undertones and is a favourite baby boys name amongst many dads.

Number 8:
Sophia – girls
The name has Greek origins, but is now widely used by many different cultures. It means “wisdom”! There are many variations and different spellings, with some of the more common alternatives being ‘Sofia’ or ‘Sofiya’.

Number 7:
Ruby – girls
The name was popular in the 1870’s but is fast coming back in to fashion as parents look for shorter, snappier names that are easy to understand. A name with English origins, it quite simply means a red gemstone. There are variations across the world, such as ‘Rubina’ in south Asia and Rubianne, used in parts of Europe.

Number 6:
Charlie – boys
Charlie was originally a nickname for people called ‘Charles’ or later those also called ‘Charlotte’, but nowadays is commonly used as a standalone name and is very popular amongst both sexes, mainly
amongst males. Many places and sources of reference describe this name as meaning ‘free man’. It is also famously the name of Tiger Woods’ daughter.

Number 5:
Harry – boys
Often used as a nickname for people named Henry or Harold. It’s also the spoken name of Prince Henry of Wales. Harry Potter seems to be an inspiration amongst some parents who cite the character as a reason for naming their son Harry.

Number 4:
Isabella – girls
It’s regal and classy, and parents are fast adopting it for their daughters. Traditionally it’s been the name of princesses, such as Isabella of Castile who became queen of Spain, Isabella of France who was the third wife of English king Edward II, and the latest being princess Isabella of Denmark born in 2007.

Number 3:
Ava – girls
A return to the short snappy baby names, Ava has become a retro name inspired by Ava Gardner, the famous 50’s actress, but is now used by lots more parents as its popularity grows further.

Number 2:
Jack – boys
A robust, laddish name, it is thought to be the English name for the French ‘Jacques’, which is in turn a variant of the Hebrew ‘Jacob’. A very popular boy’s name on its own, a variant- ‘Jackie’ is equally popular, mostly amongst females.

Number 1:
Poppy – girls
The most popular baby name on My 1st Years, it is taken from a flower. The name of Jamie Oliver’s daughter, it is one of those modern names that constantly crops up amongst the favourites. It’s short, cute, snappy, modern, and a huge hit amongst new parents.

Your child's 1st birthday is definitely something to celebrate! Everyone loves a party. Even at the age of 1 your baby will love the attention, atmosphere, and the personalised baby gifts. It's also a great opportunity to invite over your family and friends to see how your baby has grown as they always do at this age. Here is a set of guidelines in 5 quick steps to help you plan the perfect 1st birthday party:

1) Preparation

• There will probably be quite a few babies joining you for the party so make sure you move away anything that could be potentially hazardous and then you will be able to relax without fear that another baby could get hurt during the 1st birthday party.

• Make sure your baby has a nap during the day as the worst timing for the party is when your baby is tired!

2) Party Food

• Finger foods are perfect for both the babies and adults. The kids probably aren't going to eat so much so focus on presentation and colour instead of having lots of it. Although most mothers bring their child's preferred drink, have water, milk and diluted fruit juices at the ready.

• Avoid snacks like peanuts that represent choking hazards for the little ones.

• Birthday cake is always fun. You can try to bake one yourself or simply buy one from a supermarket or bakery. Make sure you don't let your baby too close to the candle though because at this age they will probably try to grab it as oppose to blow it out!

3) Party Theme

• You can go for a theme such a Dora the Explora or Thomas the Tank Engine and buy the appropriate matching paper plates and cups or you can just go for a simple colour theme. The theme is mainly for the benefit of the photographs because your baby is probably too young to fully appreciate it!

4) Presents

• By now your baby will have loads of toys so maybe focus on buying him/her clothes and just one or two more long lasting toys like a swing.

• For clothes you could dress them up in the 6 piece baby outfit set from My 1st Years personalised with the child's name or maybe even "Happy 1st Birthday" for their big day. Personalised baby clothes always go down a treat!

5) Party Bags

• At this early stage the typical party bag including sweets and balloons can be quite dangerous so stick to giving soft toys or a board book to all the kids. The Charlie Doggie Bear is a good toy appropriate for young babies which you could have personalised for the youngest guests. They would definitely love that!

So these are the most important things to note for your babies 1st birthday. Don't forget babies love attention so just make them feel special. Good luck!

Baby showers have been celebrated for hundreds of years in many diverse cultures, and it is wrong to believe the whole philosophy of celebrating women who are due to give birth is new.

Many cultures around the world have their own unique traditions and customs associated with the pending arrival of the bundles of joy, involving celebrations, personalised baby gifts, gifts for the parents, and the spreading of goodwill and cheer.

In India for example, the 7th month of pregnancy traditionally marks the baby shower celebration which is usually arranged by the sister in law or the other female family members. This is different from the baby showers in the US and the UK because they have far less emphasis on the baby and a lot more on the expecting mother.

Gifts are brought for the mother and traditional food is shared amongst the attendees, with several rituals being performed by the elder females in the family to symbolise the significance of the occasion.

In Japan, there is no real tradition of baby showers, but there is the Festival of Dolls on March 3rd, also known as Girls Day. There is also a Boys Festival on May 5th but these are typically for slightly older children.

There are also other festivals for young children in Japan but nothing specifically about the birth of a baby.

In Africa, some of the many cultures that exist have rituals around pregnancy, but the birth of a baby is not as widely celebrated as some other countries, which is down to the high levels of poverty and disease.

Some cultures do not celebrate baby showers the way in which we would like, and others have many traditional methods of celebrating this wonderfully joyous occasion. You can rest assured that with the personalised baby gifts available at My 1st Years you can take forward a tradition of your own and touch the lives of the people closest to you.