Angelina Jolie has been named the UK's top feminist icon.

The 39-year-old actress topped the poll for her tireless campaigning against rape as a weapon of war in her role as UN Special Envoy, beating off competition from iconic women's rights activist Germaine Greer.

Founder of feminist fashion house www.roseandwillard.com - which conducted the nationwide poll - Heidy Rehman, said: ''We are driven by the empowerment of women and celebration of their femininity, which Angelina Jolie embodies perfectly.''

The 'Maleficent' actress - who recently underwent surgery to have her ovaries removed after discovering she had a 50 per cent risk of suffering from ovarian cancer - pushed HeForShe campaign leader Emma Watson, into second place, while 'How to Be a Woman' author Caitlin Moran, and 'Hunger Games' actress Jennifer Lawrence also featured in the top five.

Heidy continued: ''The poll shows that this is the brand of feminism currently favoured by the public. Emma Watson is another exciting example of this and shared our vision when recently complaining that society 'devalues the she,' which is why her HeForShe campaign fights for society to respect and embrace feminine qualities.''

Other women celebrated in the poll include Taylor Swift, who attacked misogyny in the video for her hit single 'Blank Space', actress Patricia Arquette who spoke about the need for gender wage equality in her Oscars acceptance speech, and Beyonce, who has long been an advocate of women's rights.

The top ten celebrity feminist icons according to Rose and Willard:

1. Angelina Jolie

2. Emma Watson

3. Caitlin Moran

4. Jennifer Lawrence

5. Germaine Greer

6. Taylor Swift

7. Cara Delevingne

8. Patricia Arquette

9. Beyonce

10. Charlotte Church