Jessica Alba has been named the sexiest woman in the world.

The 'Sin City' beauty topped British men's magazine FHM's annual 100 Sexiest Women in the World list.

FHM editor, Chris Bell, said: "She's a talented, successful and beautiful actress who clearly has sex appeal that translates worldwide."

Alba, 25, saw off stiff competition from British glamour model Keeley Hazell and 'Desperate Housewives' star Eva Longoria, who claimed second and third place respectively.

Brazilian supermodel Adriana Lima came fourth, Scarlett Johansson fifth, while Angelina Jolie finished in eighth position.

'24' actress Elisha Cuthbert rounded off the top 10.

Last year's winner 'Pirates of the Caribbean' star Keira Knightley surprisingly dropped to 12th.

Sienna Miller plummeted even further - dropping from 12th position to a lowly 45.

In stark contrast, Britain's Prince William's ex-girlfriend 25-year-old brunette Kate Middleton has jumped from 94th place to 25th.

The 100 Sexiest Women in the World list is voted for by readers of the magazine, and features in the June edition.

100 Sexiest Women in the World - Top 10

1. Jessica Alba (actress)

2. Keeley Hazell (model)

3. Eva Longoria (actress - pictured)

4. Adriana Lima (supermodel)

5. Scarlett Johansson (actress)

6. Hayden Panettiere (actress)

7. Cheryl Tweedy (singer)

8. Angelina Jolie (actress)

9. Emily Scott (model)

10. Elisha Cuthbert (actress)

Angelina Jolie has made a formal court request to change adopted son Pax Thien's surname to Jolie-Pitt.

Angelina filed the request for her son, who is currently called Pax Thien Jolie, to take lover Brad Pitt's surname at a Santa Monica Superior Court on April 16.

Angelina adopted three-year-old Pax - whose name means 'Peaceful Sky' - in March from a Vietnamese Orphanage she had visited with Brad several times before.

Vietnamese law makes it hard for unmarried couples to adopt, so the actress applied as a single parent.

In January 2006, Angelina made a similar request to add Brad's name to her five-year-old Cambodian son Maddox and two-year-old Ethiopian daughter Zahara.

Brad is now joint guardian to Maddox and Zahara and the couple also have an 11-month-old daughter Shiloh together.