Find out how popular the last name Forestal is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Forestal.

Forestal, 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 Forestal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Forestal in America

Forestal is the 56310th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Forestal surname appeared 363 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 Forestal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Forestal 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.

The history of the last name Forestal

The surname Forestal is of Spanish origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Spanish word "foresta," which means "forest" or "woodland." The name likely originated in the northern regions of Spain, where vast forests and woodlands were prominent.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Forestal surname dates back to 1275, when it appeared in the Catalonian archives of Barcelona. The document mentions a person named Pere Forestal, who was a landowner in the region.

During the medieval period, the Forestal surname was often associated with individuals who lived in or near forested areas, or those who held occupations related to forestry or woodcutting. It is possible that some of the earliest bearers of this name were involved in the management or protection of royal forests.

In the 15th century, a notable figure named Juan Forestal was a prominent scholar and philosopher in the court of King Alfonso V of Aragon. He authored several treatises on theology and ethics, which were widely circulated throughout Europe.

Another noteworthy individual was Rodrigo Forestal, a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493. Forestal played a crucial role in mapping and charting the Caribbean islands during their expeditions.

In the 17th century, the Forestal name appeared in various Spanish colonies in the Americas. One such individual was Juana Forestal, who was born in 1632 in Mexico City and became a renowned poet and writer during the colonial era.

The 18th century saw the rise of Sebastián Forestal, a Spanish military officer who served under King Charles III. He was instrumental in the defense of Spanish territories in the Caribbean against British and French forces during the Seven Years' War.

In more recent history, Manuel Forestal (1885-1971) was a renowned Spanish architect who designed several iconic buildings in Madrid, including the Palacio de Comunicaciones and the Banco de España.

While the Forestal surname has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including Latin America and various Spanish-speaking communities, due to migration and cultural exchange.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Forestal

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Forestal.

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:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Forestal was:

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 Forestal has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

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 Forestal was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Forestal, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!