NameCensus.

UK surname

Florance

A surname originating from the Latin name "Florentia", meaning "blooming" or "prosperous".

In the 1881 census there were 183 people recorded with the Florance surname, ranking it #13,596 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 115, ranked #28,348, down from #13,596 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Oyne, Sherborne and Lytchett Matravers. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Neath Port Talbot, Gateshead and Swansea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Florance is 195 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 37.2%.

1881 census count

183

Ranked #13,596

Modern count

115

2016, ranked #28,348

Peak year

1861

195 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Florance had 183 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,596 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 115 in 2016, ranked #28,348.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 195 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Florance surname distribution map

The map shows where the Florance surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Florance surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Florance over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 110 #16,093
1861 historical 195 #12,263
1881 historical 183 #13,596
1891 historical 154 #18,004
1901 historical 167 #16,943
1911 historical 130 #19,504
1997 modern 128 #23,238
1998 modern 135 #23,118
1999 modern 130 #23,805
2000 modern 132 #23,562
2001 modern 132 #23,230
2002 modern 134 #23,492
2003 modern 126 #24,146
2004 modern 127 #24,224
2005 modern 129 #23,963
2006 modern 129 #24,165
2007 modern 125 #24,987
2008 modern 127 #25,020
2009 modern 138 #24,276
2010 modern 141 #24,460
2011 modern 132 #25,303
2012 modern 127 #25,992
2013 modern 126 #26,585
2014 modern 122 #27,358
2015 modern 117 #27,982
2016 modern 115 #28,348

Geography

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Where Florances are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Oyne, Sherborne, Lytchett Matravers, St Paul, St Saviour, St Edmund, St Simon and Jude, St Peter Hungate, St Michael at Plea, St Martin a and Woolwich. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Neath Port Talbot, Gateshead, Swansea and Surrey Heath. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Oyne Aberdeen
2 Sherborne Dorset
3 Lytchett Matravers Dorset
4 St Paul, St Saviour, St Edmund, St Simon and Jude, St Peter Hungate, St Michael at Plea, St Martin a Norfolk
5 Woolwich London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Neath Port Talbot 010 Neath Port Talbot
2 Gateshead 005 Gateshead
3 Swansea 014 Swansea
4 Neath Port Talbot 015 Neath Port Talbot
5 Surrey Heath 006 Surrey Heath

Forenames

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First names often paired with Florance

These lists show first names that appear often with the Florance surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Florance

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Florance, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Florance surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Florance household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Florance is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Florance is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Florance falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Florance is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Florance, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Florance

The surname Florance originated in medieval France. It is derived from the Latin word "florens" meaning "blooming" or "flourishing." This name was initially used as a nickname for someone with a youthful or vibrant appearance.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a landowner named Robert Florance is listed as holding estates in Normandy. This suggests that the name may have been established in northern France as early as the 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the name was sometimes spelled as "Florans" or "Flourens," reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions. It is believed that the name spread to other parts of Europe, including England, during the Norman Conquest of 1066.

In the 13th century, a notable bearer of the name was John Florance, a French monk and scholar who authored several theological works. His writings were widely circulated in monasteries across Europe.

The Florance name also has ties to certain place names in France, such as the village of Florensac in the Hérault region. It is possible that some families adopted the surname based on their association with these locations.

In the 16th century, a prominent French military leader named Pierre de Florance fought in the Italian Wars and was recognized for his bravery by King Francis I.

Another notable figure was the English mathematician and astronomer John Florance, who lived from 1564 to 1634. He made significant contributions to the development of logarithms and the advancement of astronomical calculations.

During the 17th century, the Florance family established a presence in the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded immigrants was William Florance, who settled in Virginia in 1635.

In the 18th century, the French philosopher and writer Jacques-Pierre Florance (1712-1778) gained recognition for his works on ethics and political theory, which influenced the intellectual discourse of the Enlightenment era.

Throughout its history, the surname Florance has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, soldiers, artisans, and entrepreneurs, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who carried this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Florance families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Florance surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Aberdeenshire leads with 46 Florances recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.83x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 46 27.83x
Sussex 20 6.65x
Warwickshire 14 3.11x
Surrey 13 1.49x
Morayshire 12 43.27x
Norfolk 11 4.01x
Dorset 10 8.54x
Hampshire 9 2.46x
Yorkshire 8 0.45x
Middlesex 7 0.39x
Worcestershire 6 2.57x
Derbyshire 5 1.79x
Glamorgan 5 1.61x
Devon 4 1.08x
Kent 4 0.66x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.83x
Wiltshire 2 1.27x
Banffshire 1 2.70x
Caithness 1 4.09x
Dunbartonshire 1 2.08x
Lanarkshire 1 0.17x
Lincolnshire 1 0.35x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aberdeen St Nicholas in Aberdeenshire leads with 9 Florances recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.10x.

Place Total Index
Aberdeen St Nicholas 9 29.10x
Culsalmond 9 1764.71x
South Bersted 9 351.56x
Urquhart 8 610.69x
Sherborne 7 202.90x
Solihull 7 216.05x
Aberdeen Old Machar 6 17.39x
Horsham 6 102.56x
Leeds 6 6.01x
Alverstoke 5 37.76x
Briton Ferry 5 134.77x
Camberwell 5 4.39x
Derby St Michael 5 847.46x
Iping 5 1562.50x
Lambeth 5 3.21x
Bishops Tawton 4 344.83x
Claverdon 4 1142.86x
Drainie 4 162.60x
Newhills 4 118.34x
Norwich St Clement 4 125.79x
Norwich St Paul 4 243.90x
Skene 4 363.64x
Birmingham 3 2.00x
Kings Norton 3 14.35x
Peterhead 3 34.32x
Portsea 3 4.18x
Ratcliffe London 3 30.43x
Thorpe Next Norwich 3 103.09x
Woolwich 3 13.33x
Yardley 3 50.34x
Fyvie 2 74.07x
Lytchett Matravers 2 476.19x
Melksham 2 72.99x
Shoreditch London 2 2.58x
Tooting Graveney 2 82.64x
Worksop 2 28.01x
Auchterless 1 76.34x
Birse 1 149.25x
Bonhill 1 12.99x
Doncaster 1 7.74x
Fulham London 1 3.86x
Gainsborough 1 14.86x
Glasgow 1 0.98x
Halifax 1 3.85x
Insch 1 106.38x
Inverkeithny 1 178.57x
Kennethmont 1 163.93x
Kingston On Thames 1 4.79x
Leochel Cushnie 1 135.14x
Leslie 1 312.50x
Lewisham 1 3.08x
Meldrum 1 71.94x
Midmar 1 156.25x
Oyne 1 169.49x
Portsmouth 1 11.88x
Wapping London 1 73.53x
Wareham Lady St Mary 1 111.11x
Wick 1 12.67x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Florance surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Florance surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 10
George 7
Henry 6
John 6
Alfred 5
Albert 4
James 4
Daniel 2
Edwin 2
Harry 2
Richard 2
Robert 2
Thomas 2
Wm. 2
Arthur 1
Chas. 1
Dennell 1
Edward 1
Ezekiel 1
Frederick 1
Herbert 1
Jas. 1
Joseph 1
Mark 1
Percy 1
Samuel 1
Zneparnah 1

FAQ

Florance surname: questions and answers

How common was the Florance surname in 1881?

In 1881, 183 people were recorded with the Florance surname. That placed it at #13,596 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Florance surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 115 in 2016. That gives Florance a modern rank of #28,348.

What does the Florance surname mean?

A surname originating from the Latin name "Florentia", meaning "blooming" or "prosperous".

What does the Florance map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Florance bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.