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

Forsen, 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 Forsen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Forsen in America

Forsen is the 159712th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Forsen surname appeared 101 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 Forsen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Forsen 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 Forsen

The surname Forsen is believed to have originated in Sweden during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old Norse words "fors" meaning "waterfall" and "en" meaning "meadow" or "pasture." This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who lived near a waterfall in a meadow area.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Forsen can be found in the Västmanlands County records from the late 13th century, where a person named Olof Forsen was listed as a landowner. The name also appears in the Värmlands County records from the early 14th century, where a man named Jon Forsen was recorded as a farmer.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Forsen surname began to spread across various parts of Sweden, particularly in the regions of Dalarna, Västmanland, and Värmland. Some notable individuals with this surname during this period include Nils Forsen (1567-1638), a prominent merchant from Västerås, and Ingrid Forsen (1612-1692), a respected midwife from Falun.

In the 18th century, the Forsen surname can be found in various parish records and tax registers across Sweden. One notable figure from this time was Carl Forsen (1745-1819), a farmer and landowner from Örebro County who was known for his innovative agricultural techniques.

The 19th century saw the rise of several notable Forsens, including Johan Forsen (1824-1901), a Swedish author and poet, and Anders Forsen (1848-1923), a successful businessman and industrialist from Gothenburg.

As the surname spread beyond Sweden, it also gained recognition in other parts of Europe and North America. One example is the Norwegian painter Nils Forsen (1859-1932), who was known for his landscape paintings depicting rural scenes from Norway.

Throughout its history, the surname Forsen has been associated with a variety of occupations, including farming, commerce, literature, and the arts. While its origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages in Sweden, the name has since become a part of the cultural heritage of various countries around the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Forsen

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

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

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

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