2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Forslin
A surname of Scandinavian origin, meaning "son of Forsel".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Forslin. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Forslin 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Forslin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Forslin, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Forslin
The surname Forslin has its origins in Sweden, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old Norse word "fors," meaning a waterfall or rapids, and the suffix "-lin," which denotes a diminutive or small form. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone living near a small waterfall or rapid.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Forslin can be found in the Swedish church records from the 16th century, where it appears to have been concentrated in the central and southern regions of the country. The spelling variations at the time included Forselin, Forsselin, and Forsslin.
In the 17th century, the name Forslin began to appear in historical records from various parts of Sweden, indicating that individuals bearing this surname had started to migrate and settle in different regions. A notable example is Johan Forslin, a Swedish military officer who served in the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) and was mentioned in contemporary accounts of the conflict.
During the 18th century, the Forslin name was associated with several prominent individuals. Carl Forslin (1701-1768) was a Swedish theologian and author who wrote extensively on religious topics. Meanwhile, Erik Forslin (1721-1796) was a Swedish architect and urban planner responsible for designing several notable buildings in Stockholm and other cities.
In the 19th century, the Forslin surname gained further recognition with individuals such as Gustaf Forslin (1809-1885), a Swedish politician and member of the Riksdag (the Swedish parliament), and Anders Forslin (1832-1908), a renowned Swedish botanist and professor at the University of Uppsala.
Another noteworthy figure with the Forslin surname was Nils Forslin (1865-1944), a Swedish engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the field of refrigeration technology. His innovations played a crucial role in the development of modern refrigeration systems.
Throughout history, the Forslin name has also been associated with various place names and locations in Sweden, such as Forslingby, Forslingsholm, and Forslingemossen, which further reinforces the connection between the surname and its geographical origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Forslin
Among Census respondents with the surname Forslin, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Forslin 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 Forslin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.1% · 106
- Two or more races5.0% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native4.2% · 5
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Forslin
Forslin 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
+8 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,604 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-7 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,925 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+6.8%) | Down 1,604 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 8,925 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 Forslin 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 | #133,863 | #142,788 | -6.7% |
| Count | 126 | 119 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Forslin bearers went from 126 to 119 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 8,925 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #142,788.
FAQ
Forslin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Forslin?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Forslin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Forslin?
Forslin ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Forslin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Forslin.
Has Forslin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Forslin went from 126 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 7 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Forslin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Forslin, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (4.2%). 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 Forslin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.1% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Forslin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.1%), Two or More Races (5.0%), American Indian/Alaska Native (4.2%). 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 Forslin (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 Forslin mean?
A surname of Scandinavian origin, meaning "son of Forsel". 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 Forslin (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 common is the surname Forslin?
Find out how many people are called Forslin on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.