Flo
A feminine name derived from the Latin "Flora", meaning "flower".
Name Census estimates that about 347 living Americans carry the first name Flo. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Flo today is around 78 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Flo births was 1917 (57 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Flo. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Flo is about 78 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Flos were born before 1958.
People living today
347
~ 1 in 987,765 Americans
Peak year
1917
57 babies that year
Average age
78
years old
2024 SSA rank
#16,029
Tracked since 1881
Popularity
Flo: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Flo from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 434 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Flo by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Flo during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Flos live
The SSA's state-level files cover 11 states and territories. Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio recorded the most babies named Flo, while Tennessee, Oklahoma, West Virginia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 30 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Flo
The name Flo has its roots in the Latin language, originating from the word "flos," which means "flower." This etymology suggests that the name was initially associated with nature's beauty and vitality. It gained popularity during the Roman era and was commonly used as a feminine name.
In ancient Rome, the name Flo was often given to girls born during the spring season, symbolizing the blooming of new life. It also held a connection to the Roman goddess of flowers, Flora, who was celebrated with the annual festival of Floralia, which honored the arrival of spring and the blossoming of flowers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Flo can be found in the writings of the Roman historian Livy, who mentioned a woman named Flo in his historical accounts. Additionally, the name appears in various Roman inscriptions and records from the first century AD.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Flo. One such figure was Flo Hyman (1954-1986), an American volleyball player who led the United States women's national volleyball team to a silver medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Another prominent Flo was Flo Ziegfeld (1867-1932), an American Broadway impresario known for his elaborate stage productions, the Ziegfeld Follies. His extravagant shows featured glamorous showgirls and were a significant part of the theatrical landscape in the early 20th century.
In the literary world, Flo Gibson (1901-1977) was an American writer and journalist who gained recognition for her novels and short stories that explored the lives of working-class women in the American Midwest.
The name Flo also holds significance in the realm of sports. Flo Hyman (1954-1986), mentioned earlier, was a dominant force in women's volleyball and is remembered for her powerful playing style and her contributions to the sport.
Furthermore, Flo Malloway (1897-1975) was an American tennis player who won multiple Grand Slam titles in the 1920s, including the French Championships (now the French Open) in 1920.
While the name Flo has maintained a presence throughout history, its popularity has waxed and waned over time. Nevertheless, its association with nature's beauty and the arrival of spring continues to imbue the name with a sense of freshness and vitality.
People
Flo + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Flo as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with F
Other first names starting with F with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Flo: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Flo?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 347 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Flo going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 987,765 US residents.
Is Flo a common name?
We classify Flo as "Very Rare". It ranks above 80.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,094 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Flo most popular?
The single biggest year for Flo was 1917, when 57 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Flo is about 78 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Flo a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Flo in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.