Florence is a beautifully vintage name with a floral and natural feel. It is known in a vintage sense because of Florence Nightingale and in the modern era due to Florence Welch. It really is a pretty name with just as cute nicknames like Flo and even a city in Italy named after it.
Meaning of the name Florence:
Latin: flourishing, prosperous, flowering, in bloom
Origin of the name Florence:
The baby name Florence comes from the original Latin words Florentius, and the girl form, Florentia. Florentius was a common name in Europe among saints of the Christian church, especially throughout Medieval times. It became so popular that there was even a city in Italy that was called Florence. The name reached the peak of its popularity in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, and is slowly making a comeback in modern times.
Symbolism of the name Florence:
The baby name Florence comes from the Latin names Florentius and Florentia. These come from the word “florens.” This word had the original meaning of “prosperous” and “flourishing.”

Style of the name Florence:
Traditional
Gender of the name Florence:
Florence is a name for girls that has a very floral and breezy feel.
Pronunciation of the name Florence:
FLAWR-ens
Number of syllables in the name Florence:
Two
Emotion evoked from the name Florence:
The baby name Florence feels light, breezy, natural, and floral. It is an earthy baby name with a vintage edge.
Alternative spellings for the name Florence:
- Florance
Nicknames for the name Florence:
- Flo
- Flossy
- Flossie
- Flozza
- Florrie
- Flory
- Flora
- Flor
Popularity of the name Florence:
The baby name Florence was a top 10 name until 1904, and a top 20 name until 1924. It remained a top 50 name up to 1933, then a top 100 name until 1940. The name did drop off the top 1,000 list for girls after 1981, but it started to make a comeback in 2017. Florence ranks at number 762 as of 2020.
Related names for the name Florence:
Great middle names for Florence and their meanings:
- Irene (peace)
- Matilda (mighty in battle)
- Rhiannon (great queen)
- Ellery (alder tree)
- Ellie (God is my light)
- Arabella (answered prayer)
- Lydia (beautiful one)
- Caterina (pure)
Famous people with the name Florence:
- Florence Welch (lead singer from Florence and the Machine band)
- Florence Nightingale (famous nurse)
- Florence Ballard (singer for the Supremes)
- Florence Griffith (Olympic sprinter)
- Florence Kelley (famous feminist)
- Florence King (novelist)
- Florence Knight (celebrity chef)
Florences in popular culture:
- Florence Johnston (character from “The Jeffersons”)
- Florence Castleberry (charaacter from “Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore”)
- Florence (character from “The Magic Roundabout”)
- FlorenceGrey (character from “The Children of the Red King” series)
- Florence Hayes (character from “Imposters”)
- Florence Cassell (character from “Death in Paradise”)