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

Forman, 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 Forman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Forman in America

Forman is the 3015th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Forman surname appeared 11,894 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Forman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Forman 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 Forman

The surname Forman originated from the Old French word "fermier" meaning a farmer, particularly a tax farmer or rent collector. The name first appeared in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. It was derived from the occupation of an overseer of an estate or a tax collector.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Forman can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Ferman". This suggests that the name was already in use in England by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name Forman appeared in various forms, such as Formon, Formun, and Furman, in records from counties like Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk. These variations likely stemmed from regional dialects and spelling variations.

One notable person with the surname Forman was Simon Forman (1552-1611), an English occultist, astrologer, and herbalist. He was known for his extensive diaries, which provide valuable insights into life in Elizabethan England.

Another prominent Forman was Robert Forman (1635-1708), a Scottish Presbyterian minister and one of the founders of the Presbyterian Church in America. He played a significant role in the establishment of religious freedom in the American colonies.

In the 18th century, John Forman (1712-1794) was a renowned English topographer and antiquarian. He is best known for his groundbreaking work, "The Topographical Description of the County of Kent," which was published in 1776.

The name Forman has also been associated with places like Forman's Island in Maryland, United States, which was named after Ezekiel Forman, an early settler in the region.

In the 19th century, James Forman (1826-1905) was a Scottish-American architect who designed numerous notable buildings in New York City, including the St. Nicholas Hotel and the City Hall Post Office.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals with the surname Forman throughout history. The name has a rich history and has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions across various parts of the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Forman

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

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

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

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