Florence

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 |male/female

ORIGIN AND HISTORY

During the Middle Ages, Florence was a masculine name which meant “of Florence” in reference to the city in Italy, but today in English usage it’s exclusively feminine. The change came about in the latter half of the 19th century when Florence Nightingale was gaining recognition as the founder of modern nursing, and parents began naming their daughters after her. She herself was born in Florence and was named after the city.

Though strictly feminine in English, masculine forms of Florence are used in:

• Italy – Fiorenzo
• Holland – Floris and Floor (m & f)
• Spain and Portugal – Florencio
• France – Florentin

POPULARITY

The following statistics from the Social Security Administration show how popular the name Florence was in the United States immediately following Florence Nightingale’s death in 1910.

Year and rank:

• 1910 – 11
• 1920 – 14
• 1930 – 22
• 1940 – 59
• 1950 – 135
• 1960 – 272
• 1970 – 420
• 1980 – 661

In 1990 Florence experienced a huge upswing in popularity, ranking 107.

FACTS

• According to the science of numerology, people named Florence are warm, nurturing, very reliable, and often care for others. They need harmony in their surroundings, which can result in people taking advantage of them because they find it difficult to say no.
• “Lady With the Lamp” is a song written by Country Joe McDonald about Florence Nightingale, who was known by that name. You can visit his Florence Nightingale gift shop
• Hurricane Florence struck Bermuda on September 11, 2006, causing minor damage and injuries.
• In Arthurian legend, Florence is the son of Gawain.

NAMESAKES

In the United States, you can visit Florence, AL; Florence, KY, Florence, SC, and Florence, OR.

FAMOUS PERSONS

• Florence Kling Harding (1860-1924) – First Lady of the United States 1921-1923.
• Florence Henderson (b. 1934) – American actress and singer; has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Television.
• Florence (Flo-Jo) Griffith-Joyner (1959-1998), American track star; won 1988 Olympic gold medals for 100 meter sprint and 200 meter sprint; 1988 Associated Press Athlete of the Year.
• Florence M. Kelley (1912-1997) – American judge; first administrative judge of the modern Family Court in New York City; winner of 1996 National Council of Women’s “Women of Conscience Award” for her work defending distressed youth.
• Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) – British nurse; founder of modern nursing; in 1907 first woman to receive the British Order of Merit; founded Nightingale School for Nurses in 1860.
• Florence Beatrice Smith Price (1888-1953) – American composer; first African American symphonic composer in America.
• Florence R. Sabin (1871-1953) – First woman to become full professor at Johns Hopkins Medical School; first woman elected to lifetime membership in the National Academy of Sciences.
• Florence Siebert (1897-1991) – American scientist; developed test for tuberculosis.

NOTES

<http://www.ancestry.com/> < http://www.babynameaddicts.com/> < http://www.babynamer.com/> <http://baby-names.emedtv.com/> < http://www.behindthename.com/> <http://www.countryjoe.com/nightingale/lady.htm/> < http://www.nas.edu/history/members/> < http://www.weather.com/newscenter/hurricanecentral/>

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Author: Madeleine Wieder