Florence (given name)


Florence is usually a feminine given name. It is derived from the French version of Florentia, a Roman martyr under Diocletian. The Latin florens, florentius means "blossoming", verb floreo, meaning "I blossom / I flower / I flourish". Florence was in the past also used as a translation of the Latin version Florentius, and may be used in this context as a masculine given name.

Popularity and history

A notable increased use of the name came in the aftermath of Florence Nightingale, a nurse in British hospitals during the Crimean War and is usually considered the founder of modern nursing. She was given the name because she was born in Florence, Italy. The 14th century wife of Richard de Wylughby, of London, was named Florence. A later example is Florence Wrey, wife of John Cole of the Irish County of Fermanagh, who was herself named after her mother, Florence Rolle, the wife of Sir Bourchier Wrey, 4th Baronet of Tawstock, Devon, and the daughter of Sir John Rolle of Stevenstone, by his wife and distant cousin Florence Rolle, an even earlier Florence, the daughter and heiress of Denys Rolle, of Stevenstone and Bicton in Devon. This name is also of note because John Cole built a large mansion in Northern Ireland which he named Florence Court after his wife. John Cole's grandson, Lord Mountflorence, planted a peculiarly upright yew tree in the grounds of Florence Court, which was to become the mother tree of all Irish Yews or "Florence Court Yews".

Usage

Florencia, a Spanish version, is among the most popular names for baby girls in Argentina and Uruguay. Florence was most popular in the United States between 1900 and 1940, when it was in the top 100 names given to baby girls. It then declined in use for girls after the 1970s but has been increasing in popularity. It has been ranked among the top 1,000 names for newborn American girls since 2017 and ranked in 622nd place on the popularity chart, with 473 uses, in 2022. It was among the 1,000 most popular names for American boys between 1880 and 1914. It then declined in use for boys. The name was given to seven American boys in 2022. The name has ranked among the top 100 names for newborn girls in England and Wales since 2008 and among the top 10 names for girls there since 2021. It was among the top 100 names for newborn girls in New Zealand between 1900 and 1942, after which it declined in use. It has since returned to popularity and has been among the top 100 names for girls there since 2013. It was the 39th most popular name for girls there in 2022. It has been among the top 100 names for newborn girls in New South Wales, Australia since 2016 and among the top 50 names since 2019. Florence was the 30th most popular name for newborn girls in Canada in 2021 and the fourth most popular name given to baby girls in French speaking Quebec, Canada in 2021 It dropped to 35th in Canada in 2022. In Belgium, the name ranked in 180th place on the popularity chart in 2021, a decline from its peak in popularity in 2000 and 2001, when it was among the top 100 names for newborn Belgian girls. In France, the name was among the top 500 names for girls between 1900 and 1992, and at its peak popularity between 1963 and 1973, when it was among the 20 most popular names for French girls.

Name variants

Alternate forms include:
  • Florance
  • Florentine
  • Fiorentina, Fiorenza
  • Florencia, Florencita, Floriana, Florinia
  • Flóra
English nicknames for Florence include Flo, Florrie and Flossie.
Florent and Florenz are masculine equivalents. Florence itself has also been used for boys, particularly in Ireland where it was used as an anglicisation of Irish Finnian or Flaithrí.

Notable women

Notable men