Today's name, Flora, is one I would have guessed would be more popular, but there were only 113 baby girls with this name born in 2010, and 119 in 2011. It was last on the charts in 1972. It seems F- names in general are not very popular.
Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers and spring, is Latin, meaning "flower," and its spelling is one letter away from "floral," making it undeniably feminine and flowery, yet it can be considered more womanly than girlish with its vintage charm, as I think it would age well. Flora doesn't make you think of vain pretty-girls who wear floral prints, it somehow makes you think of a traditional, nurturing woman who is kind. Also, what better name for a springtime baby?
I'm not a big fan of nicknames for Flora, which usually include Flo, Flor, and Flossie, so I suggest getting creative. Not all nicknames have to be a shortened version of the full name. Her nickname could very well be Flower or Florie. Famous namesakes include Flora Tristan, a socialist/writer/feminist, and Flora MacDonald, a Scottish folk hero, and a Spanish saint of 851 whose name day is November 24.
This is one of my favorites. But with Nora and Cora becoming more popular, it is surprising Flora isn't more popular.
ReplyDeleteI feel F is more popular, but more in sound, than appearance (ph) and often in the middle of names. Sophia and Josephine come to mind. For F at the beginning, I think of the growing popularity of Fiona. Felicity made huge popularity leaps in 2011. Philippa gets a lot of attention, but still hasn't broken the top 1000. I think we will see more F and Ph names in the future.
I agree. I think Freya will break out on to the charts next year. I always smile to think how well liked Felicity and Fiona are.
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