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

Forsman, 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 Forsman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Forsman in America

Forsman is the 13775th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Forsman surname appeared 2,196 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Forsman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Forsman 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 Forsman

The surname Forsman originated in Sweden and dates back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old Swedish words "fors" meaning waterfall or rapids, and "man" meaning man or person. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a waterfall or worked as a ferryman transporting people across rapids.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the 14th century Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval Swedish charters and documents. An entry from 1353 mentions a "Petrus Forsman" witnessing a land transaction in the province of Västmanland.

During the Middle Ages, the Forsman name was most prevalent in central Sweden, particularly in the regions around Lake Mälaren and the Dalarna province. Many early bearers of the name were likely employed as ferrymen, navigating the waterways and transporting goods and people.

In the 16th century, a notable figure named Erik Forsman (1511-1583) served as a Protestant reformer and Bishop of Strängnäs, playing a significant role in the spread of the Lutheran Reformation in Sweden.

The surname Forsman also has connections to place names, such as the village of Forsmark in Uppland, which translates to "waterfall boundary." It's possible that some early bearers of the name hailed from or lived near this location.

Another prominent individual with the surname was Carl Gustaf Forsman (1781-1844), a Swedish military officer and cartographer who served as the Chief of the Swedish General Staff and was responsible for creating several important maps of Sweden and Finland.

In the 19th century, Anders Forsman (1829-1895) was a renowned Swedish painter and illustrator, known for his landscape paintings and depictions of rural life in Sweden.

The Forsman surname has also been found in other Scandinavian countries, such as Norway and Denmark, likely due to migration and cultural exchange between these neighboring regions.

Throughout history, the name Forsman has been associated with various occupations, including ferrymen, millers, and those involved in industries related to waterways and natural resources.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Forsman

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

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

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

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