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

Forrest, 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 Forrest surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Forrest in America

Forrest is the 1569th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Forrest surname appeared 22,954 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Forrest.

We can also compare 2010 data for Forrest 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 Forrest

The surname Forrest is of English origin and is derived from the Old English word "fyrhþ" meaning a wood or forest. It is a locational surname that originally referred to someone who lived near or in a forest area.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Forrest dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Foret". This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a comprehensive survey of land and landholdings in England.

During the medieval period, the surname was often recorded with various spellings such as Foreste, Forst, and Fforest. These variations were due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time.

The name Forrest has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Sir Adam Forrest, a Scottish knight who lived in the 13th century and fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence.

Another prominent figure was John Forrest, an English explorer and surveyor who lived from 1847 to 1918. He played a significant role in the exploration and mapping of Western Australia and was knighted for his contributions.

In the realm of literature, the surname Forrest is perhaps most famously associated with the American novelist and short story writer Nathan Bedford Forrest, who lived from 1899 to 1968. His works, including the novel "A Farewell to Arms," are considered literary masterpieces.

John William Forrest, born in 1847 and died in 1918, was an Australian explorer and politician who served as the first Premier of Western Australia from 1890 to 1901.

Lastly, Sir Andrew Forrest, born in 1961, is an Australian businessman and philanthropist known for his work in the mining industry and his advocacy for various charitable causes.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Forrest

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

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

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

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