Florence: meaning and UK use

What does Florence mean?

Florence comes through the Latin names Florentius and Florentia, related to florens. It can also be chosen for the Italian city.

Language or name family covered

Latin name family

Meaning or derivation

Prosperous or flourishing

Our browsing group

girl; vintage, classic

Browsing groups describe our editorial shortlist, not rules about who may use a name. A name can cross languages and genders.

Sources for this entry — reviewed 2026-10-07:

• Behind the Name — Florence

Pronunciation and related forms

FLOR-uns (English)

English respellings are approximate; IPA is labelled where used. Follow the pronunciation a person or family chooses, and check it with a speaker of the intended language if that connection matters to you.

No variants or nicknames have been verified for this entry. A family nickname does not need to be an established dictionary form.

How popular is Florence?

In 2025, 1,924 baby girls in England and Wales were registered as Florence, making it the 5th most popular girls’ name. That is up 1 place on 2024, when it ranked 6th. Ten years earlier, in 2015, it ranked 23rd, so it has climbed 18 places in a decade. 2025 is its highest ranking in the ONS series, which starts in 1996. These figures cover England and Wales, not the whole UK.

2025 rank (girls)

5th

2025 registrations

1,924

Best rank in this series

5th (2025)

Every year from 1996 to 2025

Florence: rank and number of baby girls by year (ONS)

Year	Rank	Babies
2025	5	1,924
2024	6	1,936
2023	8	1,899
2022	8	1,971
2021	8	2,180
2020	14	1,963
2019	15	2,025
2018	15	2,062
2017	19	2,028
2016	20	2,072
2015	23	2,053
2014	26	1,781
2013	29	1,646
2012	34	1,531
2011	43	1,406
2010	54	1,177
2009	80	788
2008	94	609
2007	105	491
2006	118	449
2005	133	399
2004	147	352
2003	173	284
2002	156	278
2001	166	257
2000	163	274
1999	166	268
1998	177	244
1997	175	257
1996	194	228

The sum of published counts in this 1996–2025 girls series is 34,832. This is a lower bound where years are suppressed, not the number of living people with the name. A best rank is the best position within this series; it does not establish an all-time record.

Sources: ONS release, 2025; girls' dataset; boys' dataset. Our 20 top-ten positions were checked against Table 1 in the 2025 workbooks. The history chart and spelling comparisons come from the separate ONS 1996–2025 workbook, checked 7 October 2026. Spelling variants are separate entries. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate statistics.

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Names to compare with Florence

These suggestions share a browsing group and one or more of our style tags or source-context labels. They are taste comparisons, not etymological relatives or a popularity ranking.

• Claravintage, classic · Clear, bright or famous
• Beatriceclassic, vintage · A form of Beatrix
• Evelynvintage, classic · From the given name Aveline
• Matildavintage, classic · Strength in battle
• Penelopevintage, classic · Meaning uncertain
• Phoebeclassic, vintage · Bright or pure

Read the UK naming guide for the difference between inspiration lists and official statistics, or return to the full name finder.

Registering or changing the name

Once you decide on Florence, confirm the registration process for your UK nation with the register office. If you later want to change a registered name, the route depends on the circumstances and may require consent from people with parental responsibility.

Start with GOV.UK birth registration or GOV.UK guidance on changing a child’s name. Our registration guide and child name-change guide explain where to find the relevant official process.