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

Forst, 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 Forst surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Forst in America

Forst is the 13356th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Forst surname appeared 2,283 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 Forst.

We can also compare 2010 data for Forst 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 Forst

The surname Forst is of German origin and dates back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "vorst," which means "forest" or "wooded area." The name likely originated as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near or in a forested area.

In its earliest recorded forms, the name appeared as Vorst or Vorste in various German records and manuscripts. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Johann von Forst, a landowner mentioned in a document from the region of Saxony in 1292.

Over time, the spelling evolved to its modern form of Forst. Some variations of the name include Forstner, Forster, and Forstmeister. The latter variant, meaning "forest master" or "forestry supervisor," suggests that some bearers of the name may have held occupations related to forestry or woodland management.

The Forst surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. In the 16th century, Johann Forst (1495-1558) was a German lawyer and humanist scholar who wrote extensively on legal and philosophical topics.

In the 18th century, Johann Reinhold Forster (1729-1798) was a notable German naturalist and ethnologist who accompanied James Cook on his second voyage to the Pacific. His son, Georg Forster (1754-1794), was also a renowned naturalist and revolutionary writer.

Another notable bearer of the name was Arnold Forster (1810-1884), a German-born industrialist who founded the Forster Brothers & Co. textile company in England.

The name Forst has also been linked to various place names throughout Germany, such as Forst (Lausitz) in Brandenburg and Forst an der Weinstraße in Rhineland-Palatinate. These locations may have influenced the adoption of the surname in their respective regions.

Throughout its history, the surname Forst has maintained its connection to its Germanic roots and its association with forests and woodland areas. It continues to be a prominent surname in German-speaking regions and among individuals of German descent worldwide.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Forst

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

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

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

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