2000
#19,695
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,266
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.47
Rare Last name
Forero
A Spanish habitational surname indicating a person who came from or lived near a marketplace or forum.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,470 Americans carry the last name Forero. That puts it at #13,501 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 138,767 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Forero 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
2.5K
1 in 138,767
Census rank
#13,501
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,154 bearers of the surname Forero in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13501st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Forero, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.0%. The next largest groups are White (9.0%) and Black (0.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Forero
The surname Forero originated in Spain, specifically in the region of Castile. It dates back to the 12th century and is believed to be derived from the Latin word "forarius," which means "outsider" or "foreigner." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who came from another region or country.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Forero can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrías, a collection of documents from the 14th century that documented landholdings and feudal rights in Castile. The name appears in several entries, indicating that there were individuals bearing this surname during that time period.
In the 15th century, a notable figure named Juan Forero was a scholar and theologian who served as the Bishop of Burgos from 1456 to 1463. He played an important role in the Spanish Renaissance and was known for his work in promoting education and the arts.
During the 16th century, the Forero family expanded and established themselves in various parts of Spain. One prominent member was Diego Forero, a military commander who fought in the Spanish conquest of the Americas. He was born in 1505 and participated in the conquest of Peru under Francisco Pizarro.
Another notable individual with the surname Forero was Andrés Forero, a Spanish painter who lived in the 17th century. He was known for his religious works and contributed to the artistic heritage of Spain during the Baroque period.
In the 18th century, the Forero surname was also found in parts of Latin America, particularly in Colombia. One notable figure from this time was José Forero, a Colombian military leader and politician who played a significant role in the country's struggle for independence from Spain. He was born in 1765 and fought alongside Simón Bolívar.
As the Forero family spread across Spain and Latin America, various place names and regions became associated with the surname. For example, there is a town called Forero in the province of Burgos, Spain, which may have been named after the family or vice versa.
Overall, the surname Forero has a rich history that spans several centuries and is deeply rooted in the cultural and linguistic traditions of Spain and Latin America. It has been borne by scholars, artists, military leaders, and politicians, leaving an indelible mark on the regions where it has been prevalent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Forero
Among Census respondents with the surname Forero, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.0%. The next largest groups are White (9.0%) and Black (0.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Forero 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 Forero surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.0% · 1,938
- White9.0% · 193
- Black or African American0.6% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 8
- Two or more races0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Forero
Forero 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
#15,048
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,963
+697 bearers (+55.1%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Up 4,647 places
2020
#13,501
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,154
+191 bearers (+9.7%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Up 1,547 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #19,695 | 1,266 | 0.47 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,048 | 1,963 | 0.67 | +697 bearers (+55.1%) | Up 4,647 places |
| 2020 | #13,501 | 2,154 | 0.72 | +191 bearers (+9.7%) | Up 1,547 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 Forero 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 | #15,048 | #13,501 | 10.3% |
| Count | 1,963 | 2,154 | 9.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.67 | 0.72 | 7.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Forero bearers went from 1,963 to 2,154 (+9.7% change). The surname moved up 1,547 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,048 to #13,501.
FAQ
Forero surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Forero?
Name Census estimates that about 2,470 living Americans carry the surname Forero. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 138,767 residents.
How common is Forero?
Forero ranks #13,501 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.72 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 2,154 people with the surname Forero. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,470), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.72 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 Forero.
Has Forero become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Forero went from 1,963 recorded bearers to 2,154. That is an increase of 191 (+9.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,048 to #13,501.
What does the Census say about the background of Forero?
Among Census respondents with the surname Forero, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.0%. The next largest groups are White (9.0%) and Black (0.6%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Forero in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (1,938 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Forero appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.0%), White (9.0%), Black (0.6%). 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 Forero (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 Forero mean?
A Spanish habitational surname indicating a person who came from or lived near a marketplace or forum. 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 Forero (0.72 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 people have the last name Forero?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Forero, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.