Find out how popular the last name Forden is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Forden.
From a Welsh surname meaning someone who lived near a ford or shallow river crossing.
Forden, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Forden surname is from the 2010 census data.
Forden is the 76275th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Forden surname appeared 252 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Forden.
We can also compare 2010 data for Forden to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | 76275 | 71610 | 6.31% |
| Count | 252 | 254 | -0.79% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.09 | 0.09 | 0.00% |
The surname Forden has its origins in England, first appearing in the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "ford" meaning a shallow place where a river could be crossed, and "dun" meaning a hill or down. This suggests the name likely referred to someone who lived near a ford by a hill.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1199, where it is spelled "de Fordun". This indicates the name was originally a locational surname, given to families residing near a particular ford by a hill. Over time, the spelling evolved to the modern form of Forden.
In the 13th century, the Forden name appeared in various records across central and northern England. This includes several entries in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire between 1246 and 1273. There are also references to individuals with the surname in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire from 1283.
Notable individuals with the Forden surname throughout history include Sir John Forden (c.1470-1533), a Member of Parliament for Lyme Regis in the early 16th century. Another was Thomas Forden (1635-1706), an English Jesuit priest and educator who served as the President of the English College in Rome.
In the 17th century, the Forden name can be found in parish records from the village of Forden in Shropshire, suggesting a possible connection between the surname and this location. One prominent figure was Richard Forden (1624-1658), an English clergyman who served as the Rector of Forden.
Moving into the 18th century, William Forden (1709-1786) was a notable English mathematician and astronomer. He published several works on navigation and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1766. Additionally, John Forden (1765-1841) was a renowned English landscape painter and engraver, known for his picturesque views of the English countryside.
As the name spread across England and into other parts of the British Isles, variations in spelling emerged, such as Fordan, Fordon, and Fording. However, the core meaning and origin of the surname remained rooted in the concept of a ford near a hill or down.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Forden.
The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Forden was:
| Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic White Only | 83.73% | 211 |
| Non-Hispanic Black Only | 7.14% | 18 |
| Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | 1.98% | 5 |
| Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.00% | 0 |
| Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | 3.17% | 8 |
| Hispanic Origin | 3.97% | 10 |
Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.
Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Forden has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 83.73% | 83.07% | 0.79% |
| Black | 7.14% | 7.09% | 0.70% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 1.98% | (S)% | (S)% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.00% | (S)% | (S)% |
| Two or More Races | 3.17% | 3.15% | 0.63% |
| Hispanic | 3.97% | 5.51% | -32.49% |
The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.
The history and meaning of the name Forden was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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