2000
#2,706
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,202
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.52
Uncommon Last name
Forman
An occupational surname referring to a foreman, a person who oversees workers.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,801 Americans carry the last name Forman. That puts it at #3,151 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 26,776 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Forman 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Forman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 26,776
Census rank
#3,151
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,163 bearers of the surname Forman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3151st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Forman, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.9%. The next largest groups are Black (10.8%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Forman
Among Census respondents with the surname Forman, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.9%. The next largest groups are Black (10.8%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Forman 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 Forman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.9% · 9,029
- Black or African American10.8% · 1,203
- Two or more races3.7% · 408
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 403
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 82
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 38
Timeline
Historical Census data for Forman
Forman 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
#3,015
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,894
-308 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 4.03
Rank movement Down 309 places
2020
#3,151
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,163
-731 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 3.73
Rank movement Down 136 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,706 | 12,202 | 4.52 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,015 | 11,894 | 4.03 | -308 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 309 places |
| 2020 | #3,151 | 11,163 | 3.73 | -731 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 136 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 Forman 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 | #3,015 | #3,151 | -4.5% |
| Count | 11,894 | 11,163 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 4.03 | 3.73 | -7.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Forman bearers went from 11,894 to 11,163 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 136 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,015 to #3,151.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Forman
FAQ
Forman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Forman?
Name Census estimates that about 12,801 living Americans carry the surname Forman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 26,776 residents.
How common is Forman?
Forman ranks #3,151 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.73 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,163 people with the surname Forman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,801), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.73 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Forman.
Has Forman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Forman went from 11,894 recorded bearers to 11,163. That is a decrease of 731 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,015 to #3,151.
What does the Census say about the background of Forman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Forman, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.9%. The next largest groups are Black (10.8%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Forman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.9% (9,029 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Forman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.9%), Black (10.8%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Forman (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 Forman mean?
An occupational surname referring to a foreman, a person who oversees workers. 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 Forman (3.73 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 are called Forman?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Forman on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.