2000
#13,440
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,077
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.77
Rare Last name
Forcier
A French occupational surname referring to a scissor-maker or manufacturer of shears.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,314 Americans carry the last name Forcier. That puts it at #14,280 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 148,122 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Forcier surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 148,122
Census rank
#14,280
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,018 bearers of the surname Forcier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14280th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Forcier, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Forcier
The surname Forcier has its origins in France, dating back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old French word "forcier," which means "maker of small chests or boxes." The name is thought to have originated in the northern regions of France, particularly in Normandy.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Forcier can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The record mentions a family named Forcier residing in the village of Bayeux, Normandy.
During the Middle Ages, the Forcier name appeared in various historical documents, including tax rolls and church records. One notable example is the mention of a certain Jean Forcier in the records of the city of Rouen, dated around 1350. He is believed to have been a skilled craftsman, specializing in the production of wooden boxes and chests.
The name Forcier has undergone several spelling variations throughout history, including Forciere, Forcière, and Forceir. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and scribal errors in transcribing the name.
In the 16th century, a prominent member of the Forcier family was Guillaume Forcier (c. 1510-1572), a successful merchant and landowner in the town of Dieppe. He is known for his extensive trade dealings with England and the Netherlands.
Another notable figure was Marie Forcier (1632-1700), a French-born settler in New France (present-day Quebec, Canada). She is recognized as one of the earliest pioneers in the colonization of the region and is celebrated for her resilience and contributions to the settlement of Quebec City.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Forcier name spread across various regions of France, with families settling in towns such as Angers, Lyon, and Marseille. One prominent member was Jacques Forcier (1688-1758), a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in Paris, including the Church of Saint-Sulpice.
In the 19th century, Louis Forcier (1812-1891) was a respected French painter known for his landscapes and portrait works. He studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and had his works exhibited at the prestigious Salon de Paris.
Another notable figure was Émilie Forcier (1855-1928), a French educator and women's rights advocate. She founded several schools for girls in Paris and was actively involved in promoting equal educational opportunities for women during her time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Forcier
Among Census respondents with the surname Forcier, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Forcier bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Forcier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.6% · 1,889
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 67
- Two or more races2.0% · 41
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 10
- Black or African American0.3% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Forcier
Forcier appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#13,911
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,171
+94 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 471 places
2020
#14,280
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,018
-153 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 369 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,440 | 2,077 | 0.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,911 | 2,171 | 0.74 | +94 bearers (+4.5%) | Down 471 places |
| 2020 | #14,280 | 2,018 | 0.68 | -153 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 369 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Forcier surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,911 | #14,280 | -2.7% |
| Count | 2,171 | 2,018 | -7.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.74 | 0.68 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Forcier bearers went from 2,171 to 2,018 (-7.0% change). The surname moved down 369 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,911 to #14,280.
FAQ
Forcier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Forcier?
Name Census estimates that about 2,314 living Americans carry the surname Forcier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 148,122 residents.
How common is Forcier?
Forcier ranks #14,280 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,018 people with the surname Forcier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,314), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Forcier.
Has Forcier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Forcier went from 2,171 recorded bearers to 2,018. That is a decrease of 153 (-7.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,911 to #14,280.
What does the Census say about the background of Forcier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Forcier, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Forcier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.6% (1,889 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Forcier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.6%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (2.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Forcier (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Forcier mean?
A French occupational surname referring to a scissor-maker or manufacturer of shears. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Forcier (0.68 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Forcier?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.