Girl name · Latin
Florence
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: flourishing, blossomingFlorence is a girl's name that comes from Latin and means "flourishing, blossoming". It is used in English and French.
- Meaning
- Flourishing, blossoming
- Origin
- Latin
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #391 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Florence
As a girl's name, Florence comes from Latin and means "flourishing, blossoming". It is used in English and French.
In French, say flor-AHNSS. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Florence is also a surname: the 4,001st most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 8,618 people. See the most common last names.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Florence on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Florence on 9 lists.
“Tuscany: from Roman Florentia, usually read as flourishing; cradle of the Renaissance.”
From Italian city names, town names in Tuscany and Umbria
“Flourishing, blossoming; Latin. Also the Italian city”
From Flower names for girls, names that mean flower
“Flourishing, blossoming; Latin. Say flor-AHNSS”
From French girl names, classic French girl names
“Elegant and a bit regal”
From Porch goose names, girl porch goose names
“Latin for flourishing, and Nightingale's famous first name”
From Female cat names, vintage girl cat names
“Latin for flourishing, with Flo for short”
From Girl dog names, feminine names for dogs
“Flourishing, blossoming; Latin. Shared with nursing pioneer Nightingale”
From Strong female names, strong names worn by trailblazing women
“Flourishing, blossoming; Latin, nurse Nightingale's first name”
From Unique girl names, unique vintage girl names
“Flourishing, blossoming; Latin. Flo or Florrie for short”
From Vintage girl names, victorian girl names
How popular is Florence?
- US rank in 2025
- #391
- 796 babies, 495 per million girls
- Best rank
- #6 in 1890
- Most babies: 11,318 in 1918
- Babies since 1880
- At least 339,093
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 12,721 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 14,560 per million |
| 1900s | 12,362 per million |
| 1910s | 9,988 per million |
| 1920s | 7,387 per million |
| 1930s | 3,558 per million |
| 1940s | 1,408 per million |
| 1950s | 551 per million |
| 1960s | 278 per million |
| 1970s | 144 per million |
| 1980s | 74 per million |
| 1990s | 46 per million |
| 2000s | 32 per million |
| 2010s | 104 per million |
| 2020s | 342 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,056 | #979 | #968 | #937 | #763 | #715 | #623 | #522 | #431 | #391 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Nicknames for Florence
Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.
- Flocommon English nickname
- Flosscommon English nickname
- Flossiecommon English nickname
Other forms of Florence
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- FlorenciaFlourishing (Latin, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- FlorianFlourishing, blossoming (Latin, boy)
- FlorentinFlourishing or prosperous (Latin, boy)
- EfthaliaFlourishing, in bloom (Greek, girl)
- FiorenzaFlourishing (Latin, girl)
- FiorenzoFlourishing, blossoming (Latin, boy)
- FloireansBlossoming, flourishing (Latin, girl)
- FlorencioFlourishing, blossoming (Latin, boy)
- FlorentFlourishing, blossoming (Latin, boy)
- FlorentinoFlourishing (Latin, boy)
- FlorisFlourishing, blossoming (Latin, boy)
Middle names for Florence
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from Latin
- LauraLaurel tree (Latin, girl)
- OliviaOlive tree (Latin, girl)
- CarinaDear, beloved (Latin, girl)
- EmiliaRival, striving to equal (Latin, girl)
- FloraFlower, blossom (Latin, girl)
- MarinaOf the sea (Latin, girl)
- ReginaQueen (Latin, girl)
- ValentinaStrong, healthy (Latin, girl)
- CelesteHeavenly, of the sky (Latin, girl)
- ClaraClear, bright (Latin, girl)
Florence: common questions
What does the name Florence mean?
Florence comes from Latin and means "flourishing, blossoming".
Is Florence a boy or girl name?
Florence is mainly a girl's name.
What are nicknames for Florence?
Common nicknames for Florence include Flo, Floss and Flossie.
How popular is the name Florence?
Florence ranked #391 in the US in 2025, with 796 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Florence?
Forms of Florence with the same meaning and origin include Florencia (Spanish).
What middle names go with Florence?
Middle names that flow well with Florence include Dawn, Gwen, Hazel, Lark and Niamh. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.