Right, here's a fun fact to start with. Florence is the only name in the UK's current top 10 girls' names that was also in the very first official baby name list in 1904. Over a hundred and twenty years. Loads of names have come and gone in that time. Florence just won't budge.
So if you're thinking about it for your daughter, here's the lot.
What does Florence actually mean?
Flourishing. Blooming. Doing well. That's it.
It comes from the old Latin word florens, which basically means "in flower." Same root as floral, florist, and flourish. So calling your daughter Florence is a bit like saying "do well, blossom, have a brilliant life." Which is a nice thing to put on a birth certificate.
Where does the name come from?
Two places, really, and they're both worth knowing.
First, the Romans. They had a popular name, Florentius for boys and Florentia for girls. A few early Christian saints had it too. So Florence has been a proper name on real people for about two thousand years.
And then there's the city. Florence in Italy, the one you've seen in every Italian holiday photo ever. Called Firenze in Italian. The Romans founded it around 59 BC and called it Florentia, meaning "the flourishing one." It then went on to become the birthplace of the Renaissance — Michelangelo, Botticelli, da Vinci, the lot of them lived and worked there. So the city and the name share a meaning, and they've been linked ever since.
Is the name from the city, or is the city from the name?
City first. By about 1,800 years. So when modern parents call their daughter Florence, half the time it's a nod to the Italian city, the same way people use names like India, Brooklyn, or Paris.
Was Florence Nightingale really born in Florence?
Yes, and the story is actually lovely.
Florence Nightingale was born on the 12th of May 1820 while her wealthy British parents were on a very long European honeymoon. They happened to be staying in Florence when she arrived, so they named her after the city. Her older sister had been born the year before in Naples, and they'd named her Parthenope — which is the ancient Greek name for Naples. So both Nightingale daughters were named after the Italian cities they were born in. Honestly, that's one of the sweetest naming stories in British history.
Florence grew up in England and became, well, Florence Nightingale. The Lady with the Lamp. She basically invented modern nursing during the Crimean War. She wrote books, set up the first proper nursing school in London, and on the side she invented a version of the pie chart. Her birthday, 12 May, is now International Nurses Day. Not a bad legacy for a baby named on a honeymoon.
Is Florence a posh name?
It used to feel a bit posh, yes. Edwardian drawing rooms, big houses, that sort of vibe. But it doesn't feel like that anymore. It's been picked up by so many modern parents that it just feels warm and classic now. Not stuffy. Not trying to show off. Just a really pretty name that wears well.
How popular is Florence in the UK?
Properly popular. According to the Office for National Statistics, Florence was the 6th most popular girls' name in England and Wales in 2024. It jumped up two places from the year before. And like I said at the start, it's the only top 10 name that's been hanging around since 1904. So it's not a trend. It's just genuinely loved.
Who are the famous Florences?
Loads of them. And a properly mixed bag.
Obviously Florence Nightingale at the top of the list. Then there's Florence Pugh, the British actress who's everywhere right now — Little Women, Midsommar, Oppenheimer, Don't Worry Darling. Florence Welch from Florence + the Machine, who's been one of the UK's biggest voices for about fifteen years. Florence Henderson, who played the mum in The Brady Bunch (probably more familiar to your parents than to you, but still). Florence Griffith Joyner, the American Olympic sprinter who held world records that haven't been broken in decades. Florence Knoll, the furniture designer whose chairs you've probably sat on without realising. And Florence Ballard, one of the original Supremes.
So whatever sort of Florence you're hoping your daughter might turn into, there's a famous one to point at.
What about nicknames?
Florence gives you loads of options. Flo is the most common, easy and friendly. Florrie is sweet. Flossie is very British and a bit cheeky. Floss works too. Some families just use Florence in full, because honestly it's a nice name to say. There's even Renie if you fancy something quieter.
How do you say Florence?
FLORR-uns. Two syllables. Stress on the first. Nothing tricky. People in France say "flo-RAHNCE" but in the UK it's pretty much always FLORR-uns.
Does Florence work in other languages?
Yes, and they're all lovely. Italian gives you Fiorenza. Spanish has Florencia. Portuguese is Florência. Hungarian is Flóra. Polish is Florencja. French just uses Florence. All of them keep the same meaning of flowering or flourishing, so wherever you go, the name basically does the same job.
So, is Florence a good name?
That's only ever your call. But here's the honest version.
It's pretty. It's got a meaning anyone instantly gets. It comes with the city, the nurse, the Renaissance, and a long list of brilliant women who've worn it well. UK parents have loved it for over a century without ever really getting bored. It nicknames easily. It sounds good with most surnames. And it works on a tiny baby, a teenager, and a grandmother equally.
A name that means "flourishing," carried by a woman who very much did, and quietly chosen by British parents for 120 years and counting.
That's a lot of name for two and a bit syllables.
If there's a Florence in your life, you can give her the full story behind her name with our handcrafted Florence Personalised Name Meaning Print — designed, printed, and shipped from the UK on museum-quality fine art paper. Or browse our complete collection of personalised name prints to find the story behind every name in your family.
