Nearly half of parents with a newborn baby want to have some form of celebration, it has been found.

Mybabycelebration.co.uk claimed that although religious christenings have decreased by 73 per cent in the last 45 years, many still want to mark the event with naming ceremonies or a similar event.

"Getting a child christened has been the traditional thing to do, but with fewer people attending church, many parents are looking for alternative ways to mark the arrival of their baby," explained the firm's founder Rachel Fry.

It was also revealed that a fifth of parents were unsure of whether they should have a party for their baby at all.

Providing a range of party ideas, godparent advice and venue listings, Mybabycelebration.co.uk aims to make it easier for new parents to plan christenings, naming ceremonies or similar events.

Last year, Jack was the favourite boy's name and Grace was the most popular girl's name for new babies in the UK.