Florida

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ORIGIN AND HISTORY

Florida means "flowery" and derives from the Latin name Flora.^[1] Flora was the Roman goddess of springtime.^[1]

It is sometimes considered the Spanish version of the name Florence.

POPULARITY

Florida was a popular girl's name in the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Florida was most popular in 1886 when it ranked as the 429th most popular girl's name in the United States. The name began to lose popularity in the 1920s and 1930s, and the last time it appeared on the top 1000 chart was in the year 1936.^[1]

Florida is a more common name in Spanish-speaking countries,^[1] but it has not been popular enough in recent years to make the top of the lists.

FACTS

• The state Florida received its name from Juan Ponce de León when he landed there in 1513. He landed during the time of year called Pascua Florida, or Flowery Easter, which is the origin of the name.^[1]
• The state nickname of Florida is "the Sunshine State."
• In 1920s Buenos Aires, there was an avant-garde literary group called the Grupo Florida, or Florida Group.^[1]
• A person from the state of Florida is called a "Floridian."

NAMESAKES

• Florida, United States
• Florida, Massachusetts, United States
• Florida, Missouri, United States
• Florida, Cuba
• Florida, Puerto Rico
• Province of Florida, Bolivia
• Florida District, Peru
• Florida, Gauteng, South Africa
• Strata Florida, Wales
• Florida Tile
• Florida is the name of a ballet by Petipa and Pugni, first presented in 1866.^[1]
• Floridia, Sicily, Italy

FAMOUS PERSONS

• Florida Ridley: writer
• Florida Scott-Maxwell: writer
• Florida Town: writer
• Richard Florida: economist (born 1957)
• Flo Rida (stage name): rapper (born December 16, 1984)

Author: Sarena Emily Levinson

NOTES