FLORENCE WILLIAMS

Medieval form of the Latin masculine name Florentius (a derivative of florens ‘blossoming, flourishing’) and its feminine form Florentia. In the Middle Ages the name was commonly borne by men (as, for example, the historian Florence of Worcester), but it is now exclusively a girl's name. This was revived in the second half of the 19th century, being given in honour of Florence Nightingale (1820–1910), the founder of modern nursing, who organized a group of nurses to serve in the Crimean War. She herself received the name because she was born in the Italian city of Florence (Latin Florentia, Italian Firenze).

English (also very common in Wales): patronymic from William.