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Florence

Heart
Latin
"flourishing, prosperous"

Florence Origin and Meaning

The name Florence is a girl's name of Latin origin meaning "flourishing, prosperous".

Florence is back, returning to the US Top 1000 girl names in 2017 after a nearly 40 year absence. Other English-speaking countries have been quicker to welcome Florence back into fashion.

The name has a lot going for it, both for its floral feel and as a place name connection to the lovely Italian city (after which Florence Nightingale was named—it was her birthplace). The association to the city seems to be helping Florence stir back to life, along with cousin Flora.

The band Florence + the Machine, headlined by red-haired Florence Welch, has also helped to rejuvenate its image.

Florence was most popular in the US at the turn of the last century and in the early decades of the twentieth—it was in the Top 10 from 1886 to 1906.

Florence has a diverse mixture of namesakes and references—a character in Dickens's Dombey & Sons, a US First Lady (Harding), one of the Supremes, the Brady Bunch's Henderson, track and field star Florence Griffith Joyner, and several TV characters.

Florence has some particularly lively nicknames—Flo, Flossie, and Florrie.

# 622 in the US

Florence Rank in US Top 1000

# 68 on Nameberry

Florence Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Florence Popularity

20 Names Similar to Florence

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Famous People Named Florence

  • Florence NightingaleEnglish pioneering nurse
  • Florence Glenda BallardAmerican singer of The Supremes
  • Florence Leontine Mary WelchEnglish singer of Florence and the Machine
  • Florence Caroline DixieEnglish journalist and feminist
  • Florence Delorez GriffithJoyner, American Olympic sprinter
  • Florence Mabel Kling Hardingwife of U.S. president Warren G. Harding
  • Florence Agnes HendersonAmerican actress and singer
  • (Narcissa) Florence Foster JenkinsAmerican operatic soprano
  • Florence KelleyAmerican social reformer and feminist
  • Florence Virginia KingAmerican novelist
  • Florence KnightEnglish celebrity chef
  • Florence ReedAmerican actress
  • Florence Ada FullerAustralian painter
  • Florence "Flee" BrudenellBruce, English model
  • Florence Rena SabinAmerican medical scientist
  • Florence Sophie (Schorske) WaldAmerican pioneering hospice nurse
  • Florence ReeceAmerican union activist and songwriter
  • Florence Clivedaughter of actress Michelle Newell and John Clive
  • Florence FaivreFrench,Thai actress
  • Florence Elsie Outhwaite (b. 2008)daughter of actors Tamzin Outhwaite and Tom Ellis
  • Florence Rose Endellion Cameron (b. 2010)daughter of British Prime Minister David Cameron
  • Florence Myra Zamparellidaughter of TV presenter Jennifer Maguire & Lauterio Zamparelli
  • Florence May King (b. 2016)daughter of actress Candice Accola and The Fray's guitarist Joe King
  • Florence PughEnglish actress
  • Florence ChadwickAmerican swimmer
  • Florence GivenEnglish author and feminist illustrator

Florence in Pop Culture

  • Florence Johnstoncharacter on TV's "The Jeffersons"
  • Florence Jean Castleberrycharacter in the film "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore"
  • Florencecharacter in animated series "The Magic Roundabout"
  • Florencecharacter in "The Unwanteds" series by Lisa McMann
  • Florence de Greycharacter in Jenny Nimmo's "The Children of the Red King" series
  • Florence Hayes(male) character in Bravo's "Imposters"
  • Hurricane Florence2018 storm
  • Florence Cassellcharacter on BBC's "Death in Paradise"