A 1890s favorite, climbing again.
Popularity of Flo since 1881
Babies named Flo per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1917, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Flo's real moment was 1891.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 56 |
| 1890s | 184 |
| 1900s | 198 |
| 1910s | 358 |
| 1920s | 434 |
| 1930s | 396 |
| 1940s | 254 |
| 1950s | 143 |
| 1960s | 59 |
| 1970s | 7 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 5 |
Meaning & origin
Flo is a vintage diminutive that has been given to girls since at least 1881, when it first appeared in US records. Its peak year was 1891, when the name was at its height of popularity during the Victorian era. After decades of decline, Flo has been rising again since 2022, reflecting a broader trend of reviving late-19th-century nicknames. Though it has not re-entered the top 1000, its recent uptick suggests renewed interest in short, spirited names. The name is most closely associated with the Latin-derived Florence, meaning "flourishing," and carries a cheerful, no-nonsense charm that fits well with modern preferences for concise, familiar-but-uncommon names.
Flo originated as a pet form of Florence, a name derived from the Latin Florentius (masculine) or Florentia (feminine), from florens meaning "flourishing" or "prosperous." Florence was a common name in medieval England, and its diminutives like Flo and Florrie became especially popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The name also appears as a short form of Flora or Florence.
Nicknames & variants
Sibling names for Flo
Names that share Flo's style, for a brother or sister.
