Given name & surname
Florence
“a flourishing woman; a blooming flower”
Florence is used as a given name and a surname. One Latin interpretation is “a flourishing woman; a blooming flower.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Latin interpretation is “a flourishing woman; a blooming flower.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Latin.
How it developed
In French usage, Florence is a feminine form of Florent. In English usage, Florence is a feminine form of Florentius.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Florence through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 340,547
- 1,454 boys · 339,093 girls
- Most popular year
- 1918
- 11,350 babies
- 2025
- 796
- #391 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +109%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 796 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 391 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 108.5% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 11,318 in 1918. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (83). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 62,185 as a first name in 2020; 8,618 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Florence’s family of names
Florence has an affectionate form in Flossie. Florence shares a linguistic root with Florencio. In English usage, Florence has a conventional equivalent in the Spanish form Florencia.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Florence has relatives in 8 languages. Lines run from its Latin roots to each of them.
16 related names in 8 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 18
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 16
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 2
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Florence
- Florence NightingaleEnglish social reformer, statistician, and founder of modern nursing (1820–1910)
- Florence PughBritish actress (born 1996)
- Florence Griffith JoynerAmerican track and field athlete (1959-1998)
- Florence DevouardFrench open knowledge advocate, Chair of the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees, co-founder of Wikimedia France (born 1968)
- Florence WelchBritish singer (born 1986)
- Florence HardingFirst Lady of the United States from 1921 to 19231860–1924
- Florence Foster JenkinsAmerican soprano, renowned for her lack of musical skill and singing ability (1868–1944)
- Florence LawrenceCanadian-American actress (1886-1938)
- Florence R. SabinAmerican medical scientist (1871–1953)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Florence, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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Flora
Flora is a feminine given name from Latin. It is used in English, Spanish, French, German, and 5 other languages.
>99% girls
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“territory of the people of Lothar” · “from the kingdom of Lothair”
>99% girls