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

Forney, 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 Forney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Forney in America

Forney is the 5172nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Forney surname appeared 6,755 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Forney.

We can also compare 2010 data for Forney 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 Forney

The surname Forney originates from France, where it first appeared in the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "fournier," which means "baker" or "oven-keeper." This occupational name likely referred to someone who worked in a bakery or operated an oven for baking bread.

The earliest recorded instance of the Forney surname dates back to 1189 in the Cartulaire de Notre-Dame de Paris, an ancient French manuscript. In this document, a certain "Willelmus Fornarius" is mentioned, indicating the presence of the Forney family in Paris during the 12th century.

The name Forney can be traced back to various regions of France, particularly in the northern and central parts of the country. It was prevalent in areas such as Normandy, Île-de-France, and Champagne, where many families carried this surname.

In the 13th century, the Forney surname appeared in the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Saint-Père de Chartres, a collection of charters from the Abbey of Saint-Père in Chartres, France. This document references a "Petrus Fornarius" in 1274, further solidifying the presence of the Forney family in the region.

Notable individuals with the Forney surname throughout history include:

1. Jean Forney (c. 1450-1522), a French clergyman and theologian who served as the Bishop of Nevers.

2. Philippe Forney (1579-1636), a French painter and engraver known for his religious works and portraits.

3. Jacques Forney (1628-1708), a French architect and engineer who designed several notable buildings in Paris, including the Chapelle des Invalides.

4. Marie-Anne Forney (1760-1842), a French writer and journalist who was active during the French Revolution.

5. John Forney (1817-1881), an American journalist and politician who served as the Secretary of the United States Senate.

The Forney surname can also be found in various place names across France, such as Forneaux (a commune in the Eure department), Fornex (a commune in the Territoire de Belfort), and Forney (a commune in the Vosges department). These place names likely originated from the Forney family or were derived from the same root word, "fournier."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Forney

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

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

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

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