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

Forstner, 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 Forstner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Forstner in America

Forstner is the 38050th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Forstner surname appeared 583 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 Forstner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Forstner 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 Forstner

The surname Forstner is of German origin, originating in the region of Bavaria during the late medieval period. The name is believed to have derived from the Middle High German word "forster," which translates to "forester" or "woodsman." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name were likely involved in forestry or worked as foresters, managing and protecting wooded areas.

The earliest recorded instances of the Forstner name can be traced back to the 14th century. In 1389, a certain Heinricus Forstner was mentioned in the records of the town of Nuremberg, located in the Bavarian region of Germany. This suggests that the Forstner family had already established itself in the area by that time.

Another notable early record of the name is found in the historical documents of the city of Augsburg, also located in Bavaria. In 1427, a Jakob Forstner is mentioned as a citizen of the city, indicating the spread of the surname beyond its initial origins.

The Forstner name is also closely associated with the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a well-preserved medieval town in Bavaria. In the 16th century, a prominent family bearing the Forstner surname resided in the town, and their ancestral home, known as the Forstner-Haus, still stands today as a testament to their historical significance.

Throughout history, several individuals with the Forstner surname have achieved recognition in various fields. One such notable figure was Johann Forstner (1512-1578), a German mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of cartography. Another prominent individual was Georg Forstner (1705-1779), a Bavarian architect renowned for his work on several prominent buildings, including the Fürstenfeld Palace in Munich.

In the realm of literature, Max Forstner (1902-1979) was a German writer and poet who gained recognition for his works exploring themes of nature and the human experience. Wilhelm Forstner (1903-1996), on the other hand, was a renowned theologian and philosopher who authored several influential works on Christian symbolism and the interpretation of religious texts.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that the Forstner name has also been associated with various place names and locations throughout Germany. For example, the town of Forstern in Bavaria is believed to have derived its name from the German word "forster," further cementing the connection between the surname and its historical roots in forestry.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Forstner

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!