Foyster
A masculine name of English origin meaning "forester, one who lives or works in the forest".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Foyster. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Foyster today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Foyster births was 1921 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Foyster. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Foyster. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1921
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1921 SSA rank
#4,575
Tracked since 1921
Popularity
Foyster: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Foyster 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 Foyster during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Foyster
The name Foyster is an English given name that has its origins in the Middle English language. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "fouestre," which means "beater" or "thresher." This suggests that the name may have been originally associated with an occupation or trade related to threshing grain or some other form of beating or striking.
In the early medieval period, surnames often originated from occupations, physical traits, or places of residence. As such, it is possible that the name Foyster was initially a surname given to someone who worked as a thresher or beater before eventually becoming adopted as a first name.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Foyster date back to the 13th and 14th centuries in England. One notable example is Sir John Foyster, a knight who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War in the mid-14th century.
Another historical figure bearing the name was Thomas Foyster, who was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Bristol, England, in the late 15th century. Records show that he owned several properties and held influential positions within the city's guild system.
In the 16th century, there was a William Foyster who was a member of the English Parliament, representing the borough of Northampton in 1554 during the reign of Queen Mary I.
Moving forward to the 17th century, a man named Richard Foyster gained recognition as a skilled clockmaker in London. His work was highly regarded, and he is credited with creating several intricate and innovative timepieces that were prized by the wealthy and elite of that era.
Fast forward to the 19th century, and we find a notable figure named Benjamin Foyster, who was a successful industrialist and entrepreneur in the city of Birmingham, England. He established a successful manufacturing company that produced various metal goods and machinery, contributing significantly to the city's industrial growth and development.
While the name Foyster is not as common today as it once was, it still holds a unique place in English history and culture, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period and occupational surnames. The individuals mentioned above serve as examples of the name's enduring legacy across various fields and historical eras.
People
Foyster + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Foyster 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
Foyster: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Foyster?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Foyster 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 - US residents.
Is Foyster a common name?
We classify Foyster as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Foyster most popular?
The single biggest year for Foyster was 1921, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Foyster is about 0 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 Foyster in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Foyster a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Foyster 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 Foyster still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Foyster 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 Foyster 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 many people share the name Foyster?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.