2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Fornwald
A surname derived from Old Norse words meaning "old" and "forest".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Fornwald. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fornwald 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Fornwald in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fornwald, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.3%) and Black (6.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fornwald
The surname Fornwald has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old German words "forn" meaning "ancient" or "old," and "wald" meaning "forest" or "woodland." This suggests that the name may have originally been used to describe someone who lived in or near an ancient forest.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fornwald can be found in the Lübeck City Records from the year 1294, where a certain Hermann Fornwald is mentioned as a merchant and landowner. These records provide valuable insights into the early use and distribution of the name within Germany.
In the 15th century, the Fornwald name appeared in several historical documents, including a manuscript from the city of Nuremberg dated 1456, which mentions a Johann Fornwald, a prominent member of the local guild of tanners.
During the 16th century, the Fornwald family seems to have gained prominence in the region of Saxony. A notable figure from this period was Hans Fornwald (1522-1589), a successful merchant and banker who played a significant role in the economic development of Leipzig.
As the Fornwald name spread across German-speaking regions, it also underwent various spelling variations, such as Fornwalt, Fornwaldt, and Fornwalter. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and scribal practices.
In the 18th century, the name Fornwald gained recognition through the work of Johann Friedrich Fornwald (1727-1802), a renowned theologian and professor at the University of Halle. His writings on religious philosophy and ethics were widely read and respected throughout Europe.
Another prominent figure bearing the Fornwald surname was Karl Fornwald (1817-1892), a German architect and urban planner who was instrumental in the development of several major cities in the Rhineland region during the 19th century.
As the name Fornwald spread beyond Germany, it also took root in other parts of Europe and eventually in other continents through immigration. While the name is not among the most common surnames globally, it has left its mark in various historical records and continues to be carried by families around the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fornwald
Among Census respondents with the surname Fornwald, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.3%) and Black (6.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Fornwald 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 Fornwald surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.3% · 87
- Hispanic or Latino9.3% · 10
- Black or African American6.5% · 7
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fornwald
Fornwald 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+3 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,605 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-2 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,187 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 6,605 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 1,187 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 Fornwald 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 | #150,452 | #151,639 | -0.8% |
| Count | 109 | 107 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fornwald bearers went from 109 to 107 (-1.8% change). The surname moved down 1,187 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #151,639.
FAQ
Fornwald surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fornwald?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Fornwald. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Fornwald?
Fornwald ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 107 people with the surname Fornwald. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Fornwald.
Has Fornwald become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fornwald went from 109 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Fornwald?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fornwald, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.3%) and Black (6.5%). 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 Fornwald in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.3% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fornwald appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.3%), Hispanic (9.3%), Black (6.5%). 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 Fornwald (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 Fornwald mean?
A surname derived from Old Norse words meaning "old" and "forest". 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 Fornwald (0.04 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 Fornwald?
See how many people have the last name Fornwald on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.