2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Forschen
A surname derived from the German verb "forschen" meaning "to research" or "to investigate."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Forschen. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Forschen 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Forschen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Forschen, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (8.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Forschen
The surname "Forschen" is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the late Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old High German word "forsk," which translates to "inquisitive" or "curious." This name was likely bestowed upon individuals who displayed an inquisitive nature or a thirst for knowledge.
The earliest known mention of the Forschen name can be found in the records of the town of Nürnberg, dating back to the 14th century. In these records, a certain Johannes Forschen is listed as a merchant and landowner, suggesting that the family had already established a prominent presence in the region.
During the 15th century, the Forschen name appeared in various historical documents, including the tax rolls of the city of Augsburg. One notable bearer of this surname was Hans Forschen, a renowned scholar and theologian who lived from 1420 to 1492. His writings on religious philosophy and ethics had a significant impact on the intellectual discourse of his time.
As the centuries progressed, the Forschen name spread across different regions of Germany. In the 16th century, a branch of the family settled in the town of Heidelberg, where they became respected members of the local community. One of the most prominent figures from this lineage was Wilhelm Forschen (1551-1624), a scholar and author who published several works on the natural sciences.
The 17th century saw the emergence of another notable Forschen, Johann Gottfried Forschen (1634-1702), a jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge in the city of Frankfurt. His expertise in civil law was highly regarded, and his rulings were instrumental in shaping the legal landscape of the time.
In the 18th century, the Forschen name found its way into the annals of military history. Carl Friedrich Forschen (1712-1789) was a decorated Prussian general who fought in the Seven Years' War and later served as a military advisor to King Frederick the Great.
As the centuries progressed, the Forschen name continued to be associated with various professions, including academia, medicine, and the arts. Some notable bearers of this surname include the philosopher Ernst Forschen (1822-1899), the renowned painter Johanna Forschen (1856-1932), and the acclaimed surgeon Wilhelm Forschen (1892-1971).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Forschen
Among Census respondents with the surname Forschen, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (8.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Forschen 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 Forschen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.5% · 89
- Two or more races10.7% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native8.0% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Forschen
Forschen 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
#120,901
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 143
+28 bearers (+24.3%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 14,028 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-31 bearers (-21.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 27,053 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #120,901 | 143 | 0.05 | +28 bearers (+24.3%) | Up 14,028 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -31 bearers (-21.7%) | Down 27,053 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 Forschen 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 | #120,901 | #147,954 | -22.4% |
| Count | 143 | 112 | -21.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -25.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Forschen bearers went from 143 to 112 (-21.7% change). The surname moved down 27,053 positions in the national ranking, going from #120,901 to #147,954.
FAQ
Forschen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Forschen?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Forschen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Forschen?
Forschen ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Forschen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Forschen.
Has Forschen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Forschen went from 143 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 31 (-21.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #120,901 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Forschen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Forschen, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (8.0%). 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 Forschen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.5% (89 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Forschen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.5%), Two or More Races (10.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (8.0%). 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 Forschen (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 Forschen mean?
A surname derived from the German verb "forschen" meaning "to research" or "to investigate." 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 Forschen (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 have the surname Forschen?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.