Everything old new again

British-born novelist Plum Sykes has taken this rich, fruity name out of the produce section and put it into the baby name basket. It's more appealing than Apple, more presentable than Peaches. The French equivalent, Prune, is very fashionable there but would not fly with English speakers.

Heloise is an ancient name related to sleek, peppy classic Eloise. Both ultimately derive from the Germanic name Helewidis, which became Helewis in medieval England. In the twelfth century, the name was borne by the beloved of the French philosopher Pierre Abelard, who was considered to be one of the most learned women of the Middle Ages.

Mythological spirit of the waters; spelled Undine, she was an Edith Wharton heroine.

Sweet and cosy but with substance too, Sosie is a rare, multicultural name. Used as a short form of Susan, Sosan, Sophie and Sophia, it could make a fresh alternative to Suzy, Izzy, or Josie; alternatively, it's an Armenian name in its own right, derived from Sosi meaning "palm tree".

A sweet, nostalgic nosegay kind of name, Posy has been long fashionable in England, a country of gardeners, but this pretty bouquet-of-flowers name is still rarely heard in the US, though it could be seen as a more unusual possible alternative to Rosy or Josie.