2000
#71,143
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 256
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Forss
A surname indicating an ancestor lived near a waterfall or rapids.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 292 Americans carry the last name Forss. That puts it at #80,289 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,173,816 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Forss 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
292
1 in 1,173,816
Census rank
#80,289
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
255
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 255 bearers of the surname Forss in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 80289th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Forss, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Forss
The surname Forss originates from the Scandinavian countries, primarily Norway and Sweden. It is derived from the Old Norse word "fors," which means "waterfall" or "rapids." This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with people who lived near or worked around waterfalls or rapids.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Forss can be traced back to the 16th century in Norway. In Sweden, the name appears in historical records dating back to the 17th century, particularly in the regions of Värmland and Dalarna, where it was commonly found among farmers and landowners.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name Forss was Olaus Forss, a Swedish clergyman and theologian who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He served as a pastor in various parishes and authored several religious works.
Another notable individual with the surname Forss was Carl Johan Forss, a Swedish military officer and engineer who lived from 1837 to 1909. He played a significant role in the construction of fortifications and coastal defenses in Sweden during the late 19th century.
In the realm of art, the name Forss is associated with Gösta Forss, a Swedish painter and sculptor who lived from 1908 to 1988. He was known for his landscapes and commissioned works, including public sculptures and monuments.
The name Forss can also be found in historical records from Finland, where it is often spelled as "Forss" or "Fors." One noteworthy figure with this surname was Mikael Forss, a Finnish architect who lived from 1876 to 1940 and designed several notable buildings in Helsinki and other cities.
Another individual of note was Hjalmar Forss, a Finnish diplomat and politician who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Finland from 1924 to 1925. He was born in 1875 and played a significant role in shaping Finland's foreign policy during the early years of its independence.
While the surname Forss has its roots in Scandinavia, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. However, the historical records and examples mentioned above provide insights into the origins and early bearers of this surname, which is closely tied to the natural features and landscapes of Scandinavia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Forss
Among Census respondents with the surname Forss, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Forss 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 Forss surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.9% · 242
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 5
- Two or more races2.0% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Forss
Forss 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
#78,040
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 245
-11 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 6,897 places
2020
#80,289
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 255
+10 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 2,249 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #71,143 | 256 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #78,040 | 245 | 0.08 | -11 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 6,897 places |
| 2020 | #80,289 | 255 | 0.09 | +10 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 2,249 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 Forss 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 | #78,040 | #80,289 | -2.9% |
| Count | 245 | 255 | 4.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.09 | 6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Forss bearers went from 245 to 255 (+4.1% change). The surname moved down 2,249 positions in the national ranking, going from #78,040 to #80,289.
FAQ
Forss surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Forss?
Name Census estimates that about 292 living Americans carry the surname Forss. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,173,816 residents.
How common is Forss?
Forss ranks #80,289 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 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 255 people with the surname Forss. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (292), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 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 Forss.
Has Forss become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Forss went from 245 recorded bearers to 255. That is an increase of 10 (+4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #78,040 to #80,289.
What does the Census say about the background of Forss?
Among Census respondents with the surname Forss, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Forss in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (242 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Forss appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.9%), Hispanic (2.0%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Forss (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 Forss mean?
A surname indicating an ancestor lived near a waterfall or rapids. 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 Forss (0.09 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 last name Forss?
Find out how many people are called Forss on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.