Flora
A feminine name of Latin origin meaning "flower" or "blooming".
Name Census estimates that about 16,828 living Americans carry the first name Flora. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Flora today is around 53 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Flora births was 1920 (1,573 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Flora. 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
- • Although Flora is used almost entirely for girls, the SSA data does show 172 boys registered with the name since 1880.
People living today
17K
~ 1 in 20,368 Americans
Peak year
1920
1,573 babies that year
Average age
53
years old
1960 SSA rank
#648
Tracked since 1880
Gender
Gender distribution for Flora
Out of the 70,655 babies given the name Flora since 1880, 99.8% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Flora as a male name
- Ranked #4,235 in 1960
- 5 male births in 1960
- Peak: 1923 (14 births)
Flora as a female name
- Ranked #648 in 2024
- 452 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1920 (1,566 births)
Popularity
Flora: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Flora from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 14,025 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
Flora 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 Flora during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Floras live
The SSA's state-level files cover 49 states and territories. Texas, Alabama, New York recorded the most babies named Flora, while District of Columbia, Wyoming, Alaska recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 1,023 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Flora
The name Flora has its origins in Latin, derived from the name of the Roman goddess of spring and flowers, known as Flora. The name likely emerged during the ancient Roman period, when the Romans worshipped a pantheon of gods and goddesses associated with various aspects of nature and daily life.
The name Flora is believed to have come from the Latin word "flos," meaning flower or blossom. The goddess Flora was celebrated with an annual festival called the Floralia, which marked the beginning of spring and the blooming of flowers. This festival was a significant event in the Roman calendar and often involved lavish celebrations and processions.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Flora can be found in the writings of the Roman poet Ovid, who mentions the goddess in his famous work "Fasti." Ovid provides details about the rituals and customs associated with the Floralia festival, highlighting the importance of Flora in Roman mythology and culture.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Flora. One of the earliest recorded examples is Flora Baptista, a Roman woman who lived in the 1st century BC and was known for her virtue and piety. Another notable figure was Flora Macdonald, a Scottish heroine born in 1722, who famously helped Prince Charles Edward Stuart escape after the Battle of Culloden in 1746.
In the realm of art and literature, the name Flora has been associated with several influential figures. Flora Tristan, born in 1803, was a French socialist and feminist writer who advocated for workers' rights and women's emancipation. Flora Batson, an American painter born in 1867, was renowned for her vibrant depictions of floral scenes and landscapes.
The name Flora also holds significance in the field of science. Flora Sandes, born in 1876, was a British woman who served as a soldier in the Serbian army during World War I and was highly decorated for her bravery. Flora Murray, born in 1869, was a pioneering American biochemist and educator who made significant contributions to the understanding of proteins and nutrition.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Flora, highlighting its enduring popularity and connection to themes of nature, spring, and rebirth.
People
Flora + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Flora 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
Flora: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Flora?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 16,828 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Flora 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 20,368 US residents.
Is Flora a common name?
We classify Flora as "Uncommon". It ranks above 98.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 70,655 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Flora most popular?
The single biggest year for Flora was 1920, when 1,573 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Flora is about 53 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Flora a female name?
Yes, 99.8% of people registered as Flora 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.