Get the right name and open doors for your child

A newborn baby sleeps on a bed at Fernando Velez Paiz hospital in Managua February 23, 2006.

LONDON (Reuters) - British parents spend 30 million hours a year picking the names of their newborn children, a survey showed on Thursday.

And choosing the right name can be crucial -- if you want your child to get on in life.

The survey by Abbey Banking showed that parents agonize for up to 45 hours over the name of their child -- a combined 30 million hours annually in Britain.

One in three parents believed the right name can give a child confidence while up to two million thought it could help their child's career prospects.

"There is no doubt that children's names reflect people's aspirations and parents believe names can affect career prospects," said Abbey Banking director Steve Shore.

The latest national statistics update showed that Grace, Ruby and Olivia ranked as the current top names for girls and Jack, Thomas and Oliver for boys.

(Reporting by Paul Majendie, Editing by Paul Casciato)