florence

Florence












Name Nerds main

FOR REAL: Florence comes from the Latin name Florentius, which means "blossoming; flourishing." It was originally used for both men and women, but now used almost exclusively for women. This may be due to one of its most famous bearers, Florence Nightingale (1820-1910), who was the founder of modern nursing, which was considered the architypal feminine career path in previous eras. Nightingale is probably single-handedly responsible for the formerly rare name's revival. She was named after the Italian city of Florence, where she was born.

diminutives: Flossie, Flo, Florrie