Forman
A French form of the medieval name Foreman meaning "chief official" or "overseer".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Forman. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Forman today is around 74 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Forman births was 1958 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Forman. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Forman is about 74 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Formans were born before 1962.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Forman. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
1958
6 babies that year
Average age
74
years old
1958 SSA rank
#3,671
Tracked since 1917
Popularity
Forman: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Forman from the 1910s through to the 1950s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 10 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1920s peak, Forman remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Forman by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Forman during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Forman
The name Forman is believed to have originated from the Old English word "foreman," which referred to the leader or overseer of a group of workers or a household. The name gained prominence during the Middle Ages in England and parts of northern Europe.
In its earliest form, the name was likely used as an occupational surname, denoting the profession or role of an individual who oversaw various tasks or projects. The root word "fore" means "in front" or "leading," while "man" refers to a person or worker.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Forman can be traced back to the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation conducted in England in 1086 under the order of William the Conqueror. The name appears in this historical record, suggesting its usage during the Norman period.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Forman. One such figure was Simon Forman (1552-1611), an English occultist, astrologer, and herbalist known for his extensive writings and predictions. He gained fame during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I and was consulted by notable figures of the time.
Another prominent bearer of the name was James Forman (1892-1938), an influential African-American leader and activist who played a significant role in the early civil rights movement in the United States. He founded the League for Democracy and organized the historic Black Nation March on Washington in 1925.
In the realm of sports, Carl Forman (1914-1999) was an American basketball player who played for the Harlem Globetrotters and later became a coach. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998.
The name Forman also has roots in Danish and Norwegian cultures, where it was likely derived from the same occupational origin. One notable figure is the Norwegian author and playwright Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906), whose full name was Henrik Johan Ibsen Forman.
Another historical figure with the name Forman was Charles Forman (1832-1915), a British Army officer who served in India and played a crucial role in the establishment of the North-West Frontier Province (now part of Pakistan). He was widely respected for his administrative abilities and his efforts to improve the lives of the local population.
People
Forman + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Forman as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with F
Other first names starting with F with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Forman: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Forman?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Forman going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Forman a common name?
We classify Forman as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 26 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Forman most popular?
The single biggest year for Forman was 1958, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Forman is about 74 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Forman in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Forman a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Forman in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Forman still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Forman in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Forman can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Forman?
See how many Americans are named Forman on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.