Florence
Florence comes from the Latin "florens," meaning flourishing, blooming, or prosperous. The name shares its root with "flora" (flower). The city of Florence, Italy, was named after the Roman colony "Florentia," and the city's prestige gave the name a Renaissance-era charge. Florence Nightingale (1820-1910), the founder of modern nursing, is the name's most famous bearer — she was named after the city where she was born. Florence was a top-50 American name from 1880 to 1925, peaking at #12 in 1900. Then it declined steeply. The name nearly fell out of the top 1000 by the 1990s. Then came the revival. Florence re-entered the US top 1000 in 2017 and continues to climb. The driver was Florence Welch (born 1986), the lead singer of Florence and the Machine, whose 2009 debut album "Lungs" made her one of the defining voices of the 2010s. I find Florence has a faded elegance — the "Fl" opening is gentle, the "r" gives it weight, and the "ence" ending gives it a slightly formal quality. The nickname Flo (associated with Florence Nightingale) is short and strong. The name is climbing again as the vintage revival reaches the 1890s layer. Florence is a female name of Latin origin that means "Flourishing, prosperous". Vintage, capable, and quietly luminous. The name sounds historic. Florences tend to be principled. US re-entered top 1000 in 2017. Now climbing. Well-known people named Florence include Florence Nightingale (nursing pioneer), Florence Welch (singer), Florence (Italian city), Florence Griffith-Joyner (sprinter). Common variations and related forms of Florence include Fiorenza (Italian), Florencia (Spanish), Florentina (Latin), Flo (nickname).