Flossy
Of English origin, meaning "silky", "fluffy", or "adorned with silk".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Flossy. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Flossy today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Flossy births was 1916 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Flossy. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Flossy with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Flossy. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1916
10 babies that year
Average age
-
1927 SSA rank
#5,075
Tracked since 1908
Popularity
Flossy: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Flossy from the 1900s through to the 1920s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 24 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Flossy 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 Flossy during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Flossy
The name Flossy finds its origins in the Old English word "flossian," which means "to flow" or "to float." It emerged as a descriptive nickname during the Middle Ages, likely referring to someone with a graceful or flowing demeanor. The name's earliest recorded use dates back to the 13th century in the Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, where a character named Flossy is mentioned.
Flossy gained popularity in England during the Renaissance period, with several notable figures bearing the name. One of the earliest documented examples is Flossy Woodville, a renowned courtier and mistress to King Edward IV, who lived from 1437 to 1492. Another notable figure was Flossy Boleyn, a cousin of Anne Boleyn and a lady-in-waiting at the court of King Henry VIII, born in 1501 and executed in 1536 during the tumultuous period of the English Reformation.
In the 17th century, Flossy became a popular name among the upper classes of English society. One prominent example is Flossy Howard, Countess of Carlisle, a renowned beauty and influential political figure who lived from 1592 to 1660. She was known for her involvement in various intrigues during the English Civil War and her close relationship with King James I.
During the Victorian era, the name Flossy experienced a resurgence in popularity, particularly among the artistic and literary circles of London. Flossy Nightingale, the famous nurse and social reformer, was born in 1820 and is credited with revolutionizing the field of nursing and establishing the first secular nursing school. Another notable figure was Flossy Browning, the renowned English poet and playwright, who lived from 1806 to 1861 and is best known for her influential work "Aurora Leigh."
In the 20th century, the name Flossy was less common but still held a certain charm. One notable figure was Flossy Woodhouse, a British actress and singer who graced the stage and silver screen from the 1920s to the 1960s. She was born in 1899 and is remembered for her roles in several popular musicals and films of the time.
While the name Flossy may not be as prevalent today, its rich history and associations with grace, refinement, and artistic expression continue to make it a unique and intriguing choice for those seeking a name with a touch of whimsy and charm.
People
Flossy + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Flossy 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
Flossy: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Flossy?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Flossy 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 - US residents.
Is Flossy a common name?
We classify Flossy as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 39 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Flossy most popular?
The single biggest year for Flossy was 1916, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Flossy is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Flossy in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Flossy a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Flossy 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.
Is Flossy still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Flossy in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Flossy can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Flossy?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.