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

Fors, 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 Fors surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fors in America

Fors is the 27081st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fors surname appeared 894 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Fors.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fors 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 Fors

The surname Fors originated in France during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "fors," meaning "outside" or "beyond." This could suggest that the name was initially given to someone who lived on the outskirts of a town or village.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fors can be found in the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Froidmont, a 13th-century manuscript from Normandy. This document mentions a certain "Robertus de Fors" as a landowner in the region.

During the 14th century, the name Fors appeared in various records across northern France, particularly in Picardy and Normandy. One notable bearer of the name was Jean Fors, a merchant from Rouen who lived between 1320 and 1390.

In the 15th century, the surname Fors began to spread further across France, with mentions in records from Brittany, Champagne, and Île-de-France. One prominent figure was Pierre Fors, a military commander from Normandy who fought in the Hundred Years' War (c. 1415-1435).

The 16th century saw the emergence of several notable figures with the surname Fors. One of them was François Fors (1520-1597), a scholar and humanist from Paris who wrote extensively on classical literature. Another was Jeanne Fors (1536-1610), a renowned midwife from Amiens who published one of the earliest books on midwifery in French.

As the Fors family continued to spread across France, various spellings emerged, such as Forss, Forse, and Forsse. Some of these variations may have been influenced by place names or other regional dialects.

In the 17th century, the surname Fors gained prominence in the legal and political spheres. One notable figure was Jacques Fors (1635-1701), a lawyer and magistrate from Orléans who served as a judge in the Parlement of Paris.

Over the centuries, the surname Fors has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, writers, and military personnel. Despite its French origins, the name has also been found in other parts of Europe and beyond, likely due to migration and intermarriage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fors

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

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

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

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