Find out how popular the last name Flora is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Flora.

Flora, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Flora surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Flora in America

Flora is the 4523rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Flora surname appeared 7,837 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Flora.

We can also compare 2010 data for Flora to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Flora

The surname Flora has its origins in Italy, tracing back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Latin word "flora," meaning "flowers" or "plants." The name likely originated as a descriptive surname for someone who lived near a particularly lush or floral area, or perhaps someone who worked with flowers or plants.

In the 14th century, the name Flora appeared in various Italian records and documents, such as the "Codice Diplomatico Padovano," a collection of historical records from the city of Padua. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is Iacopo Flora, a merchant from Venice mentioned in a trade document dated 1317.

During the Renaissance period, the surname Flora became more widespread across Italy. One notable bearer was Giovanni Battista Della Porta, an Italian scholar and polymath born in Vico Equense in 1535. He wrote extensively on various subjects, including natural philosophy, optics, and cryptography.

In the 17th century, the name Flora appeared in several Italian literary works, including the famous "Gerusalemme Liberata" by Torquato Tasso. One character, Clorinda, is described as having a "Flora-like" appearance, alluding to her beauty and grace.

As Italians immigrated to other parts of the world, the surname Flora spread to different countries. In the 19th century, a notable bearer was Pauline Flora, a French novelist and playwright born in 1824. Her works often explored themes of love, passion, and societal norms.

Another prominent figure was Francisco Adolfo de Varnhagen, Viscount of Porto Seguro, a Brazilian historian, diplomat, and writer born in 1816. He was a descendant of the Portuguese-Brazilian Flora family and made significant contributions to the study of Brazilian history and literature.

In the 20th century, the surname Flora gained recognition through individuals like Umberto Flora, an Italian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Italian Parliament from 1948 to 1968.

Overall, the surname Flora has a rich history rooted in Italian culture and language, with its earliest origins dating back to the Middle Ages. While it has since spread to various parts of the world, its connection to the beauty and vitality of nature remains a central theme throughout its historical journey.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Flora

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Flora.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Flora was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Flora has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Flora was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Flora, please contact us.

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