Is Florence a boys name?

H3llR4iser · 30-10-2019 11:59AM

Technically, it can be a male name - this is one such cases of "translation malfunction" when a Latin name gets rendered in English; The originals were Florentius for boys and Florentia for girls. Both names survive in modern Italian as "Fiorenzo" and "Fiorenza", although they are quite uncommon as given names - over the centuries they became more common as family names.

Upon translation only one form remained in English, "Florence". It's the same and opposite, for example, to what happened to the name "Andrea", widely considered feminine in English speaking countries, while it is exclusively masculine elsewhere - the original feminine form, "Andreina", lost in translation.

Lux23 · 30-10-2019 01:42PM

I know two Romanian brothers who are both called Florin, but they go by their middle name. Their father is called Florin, super confusing.

batistuta9 · 30-10-2019 01:56PM

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

And Italy where it’s the name of a city and so appears in the address of everyone who lives there but mostly it’s a girls name and in Ireland is not common and not widely recognised as a male name.

It's not named Florence in Italy though, they call it Firenze.

Stovepipe · 30-10-2019 01:57PM

"Flor" is often used as a first name in Cork (Flor Crowley, a politician, I think) and no-one would dream of slagging a guy for having the name.

facehugger99 · 30-10-2019 01:58PM

Florence is the name of a city.

rECTAL fLAKE · 30-10-2019 02:01PM

I heard of a bird called Florence once...

El Weirdo · 30-10-2019 02:04PM

Badly Drunk Boy wrote: »

Yeah, that's it. Being named Florence made him gay!

Nominative determinism in action.

Sir Osis of Liver. · 30-10-2019 02:07PM

tajd wrote: »

In all serious my friend who’s gay has a boyfriend and he introduced me to him last night and I can’t stop laughing his name is Florence, surely there taking the piss. I had go hold it together till I got home when I told my nana she nearly choked on her Burger King lol

I'm more shocked that a grown man would call his Bugerking eating grandmother Nana!

HeidiHeidi · 30-10-2019 02:07PM

facehugger99 wrote: »

Florence is the name of a city.

It's the name of quite a few people, both male and female, as well.

Woke Hogan · 30-10-2019 02:07PM

tajd wrote: »

In all serious my friend who’s gay has a boyfriend and he introduced me to him last night and I can’t stop laughing his name is Florence, surely there taking the piss. I had go hold it together till I got home when I told my nana she nearly choked on her Burger King lol

I used to know a kid called Florence when I was a young boy, he was routinely made fun of for having a "gay name" and I'm ashamed to say that I was also a party in that teasing. Unfortunately it was considered acceptable at the time. I never thought I would ever encounter an actual "Gay Florence," though, even secondhand.

whomitconcerns · 30-10-2019 02:20PM

Marion Morrison says "you got a problem with my name pilgrim?"

Ten of Swords · 30-10-2019 02:24PM

Ye insulted your friend (I'm sure he knew you were laughing) and ye ruined your nanas meal

Not cool tajd, not cool at all

:pac:

Edgware · 30-10-2019 11:40PM

It is common enough in West Cork.
I also know a few lads called Majella.
I dont know what the parents were thinking

lawred2 · 30-10-2019 11:42PM

tajd wrote: »

In all serious my friend who’s gay has a boyfriend and he introduced me to him last night and I can’t stop laughing his name is Florence, surely there taking the piss. I had go hold it together till I got home when I told my nana she nearly choked on her Burger King lol

Easily amused

Quantum Erasure · 31-10-2019 12:56AM

never heard of Florence of Arabia, OP?

branie2 · 31-10-2019 12:59AM

Or Lawrence Nightingale?

wakka12 · 31-10-2019 01:06AM

Dunno but I like it. I think its a nice unisex name

JupiterKid · 31-10-2019 01:07AM

Conall Cernach wrote: »

Florence O'Donoghue was an IRA intelligence officer in the War of Independence and later became a well respected historian and author.

That’s interesting because a guy I was pals with for the first couple of years in college had Florence as his middle name and his surname was O’Donoghue. I remember he was a bit embarrassed about it.

Maybe he was related to this guy?

byhookorbycrook · 31-10-2019 01:36AM

Yes , grew up with a few in Cork . Had great craic when we had a sub teacher who didn’t believe a class mate was called Florrie. She then asked him what it was in longer form and when he told her , she threw him out of class and sent him to the principal.

HeidiHeidi · 31-10-2019 11:25AM

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

Yes , grew up with a few in Cork . Had great craic when we had a sub teacher who didn’t believe a class mate was called Florrie. She then asked him what it was in longer form and when he told her , she threw him out of class and sent him to the principal.

Jaysus, she'd be up in the High Court if she tried that these days :eek::eek:

jimgoose · 31-10-2019 11:27AM

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

Yes , grew up with a few in Cork . Had great craic when we had a sub teacher who didn’t believe a class mate was called Florrie. She then asked him what it was in longer form and when he told her , she threw him out of class and sent him to the principal.

What was that about?

Montage of Feck · 31-10-2019 11:59AM

I know of a couple of Florries, definitely a male name here.

31-10-2019 01:25PM

Oh I knew of a Florrie too now that you mention it

nkl12xtw5goz70 · 31-10-2019 02:06PM

riffmongous wrote: »

Oh I knew of a Florrie too now that you mention it

In Ireland, Florry, Florrie, Flurry, and other variants are often anglicized versions of the Irish name Flaithrí. In other words, they're often not short for Florence.

Edgware · 31-10-2019 07:16PM

Her name was Florence but they called her Flora because she spread easily

byhookorbycrook · 31-10-2019 07:18PM

jimgoose wrote: »

What was that about?

She thought he was being a smart ass pretending to have a “ girls’ name .”

31-10-2019 07:37PM

Poor Nanas wasted Burger King.

It's definitely one I wasn't aware of and I wouldn't be in a hurry to name a little chap Florence. I know a Russian called Sasha (I think that's the boy spelling, and the girl version is Sacha), Lesley/Leslie is another that feels too feminine for a man, I know of a male Tracey (girl version Tracy) and I completely understand why he's known as Trace, and I've met a Yasmin (girl version Yasmine). I can't say I like any of them, they all seen a bit dated.

Beverly/Beverley is another one I think is a burden to a man. You'd have to really dislike your little boy to call him Beverley.

Speedsie · 31-10-2019 09:54PM

Evelyn is another oddity as a unisex name.

Is Florence a boys name?

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