2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Forschner
A German surname derived from the word "forschen" meaning to research or investigate.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Forschner. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Forschner 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Forschner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Forschner, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.7%) and Black (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Forschner
The surname Forschner is of German origin, originating in the southern regions of Germany during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old German word "forsch," meaning "brave" or "bold," and likely referred to an individual's personality or behavior.
One of the earliest documented references to the name can be found in the 14th-century records of the town of Nuremberg, where a certain Johannes Forschner was listed as a resident. This suggests that the name was already established in that region by that time.
In the 16th century, the Forschner family was prominent in the city of Augsburg, with several members serving as respected merchants and guild members. Notable individuals from this period include Hans Forschner (1510-1572), a successful trader in textiles, and his son, Jakob Forschner (1548-1621), who followed in his father's footsteps and became a respected member of the city's merchant class.
The name Forschner also appeared in various historical documents throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, such as church records and tax rolls, indicating its continued presence in various German regions, particularly in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg.
One notable figure bearing this surname was Johann Caspar Forschner (1688-1762), a German composer and organist who served as the Kapellmeister (music director) at the court of the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg. His works, though not widely known today, were influential in the development of the late Baroque style.
Another individual of note was Friedrich Wilhelm Forschner (1804-1878), a German painter and lithographer who specialized in portraiture and genre scenes. He studied under the renowned artist Johann Peter von Langer and achieved considerable success during his lifetime, with his works being exhibited in various galleries across Germany.
In the 19th century, the Forschner name also appeared in the United States, likely carried by German immigrants seeking new opportunities. One such individual was Johann Georg Forschner (1823-1891), who settled in Ohio and worked as a farmer and blacksmith.
While the surname Forschner is not among the most common in Germany or elsewhere, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, from merchants and artists to composers and tradesmen.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Forschner
Among Census respondents with the surname Forschner, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.7%) and Black (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Forschner 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 Forschner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.7% · 116
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Forschner
Forschner 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
#131,379
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
+19 bearers (+17.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,378 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-9 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,670 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #131,379 | 129 | 0.04 | +19 bearers (+17.3%) | Up 8,378 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 10,670 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 Forschner 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 | #131,379 | #142,049 | -8.1% |
| Count | 129 | 120 | -7.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Forschner bearers went from 129 to 120 (-7.0% change). The surname moved down 10,670 positions in the national ranking, going from #131,379 to #142,049.
FAQ
Forschner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Forschner?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Forschner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Forschner?
Forschner ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Forschner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Forschner.
Has Forschner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Forschner went from 129 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #131,379 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Forschner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Forschner, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.7%) and Black (0.8%). 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 Forschner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.7% (116 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Forschner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.7%), Two or More Races (1.7%), Black (0.8%). 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 Forschner (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 Forschner mean?
A German surname derived from the word "forschen" meaning to research or 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 Forschner (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 share the surname Forschner?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.