2000
#3,925
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,313
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.08
Rare Last name
Forsyth
A Scottish locational surname derived from lands near the Forth river or from a Gaelic personal name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,478 Americans carry the last name Forsyth. That puts it at #4,154 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 36,163 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Forsyth 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Forsyth with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.5K
1 in 36,163
Census rank
#4,154
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,265 bearers of the surname Forsyth in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4154th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Forsyth, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Forsyth
The surname Forsyth originated in Scotland, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "fors" meaning a waterfall or stream, and "syth" meaning a small valley or path. This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a stream or waterfall in a small valley.
The Forsyth name is closely associated with the Scottish Borders region, particularly in areas such as Roxburghshire and Berwickshire. Early spellings of the name included variants like Forsith, Forsythe, and Forsytt. One of the earliest recorded instances is in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists a John de Forsyth as swearing fealty to King Edward I of England.
In the 14th century, a branch of the Forsyth family is recorded as holding lands in the parish of Cavers, Roxburghshire. This is evidenced by charters and other historical records from the time. A notable figure from this lineage was Robert de Forsyth, who served as a Scottish ambassador to England in the late 14th century.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Forsyths were closely associated with the town of Jedburgh in Roxburghshire. Several members of the family held prominent positions in the local community, including William Forsyth (1537-1599), who served as the Provost of Jedburgh.
One of the most famous individuals with the Forsyth surname was William Forsyth (1737-1804), a Scottish botanist and horticulturist who served as the Chief Superintendent of the Royal Gardens at Kensington Palace and St. James's Palace in London. He made significant contributions to the study of plant diseases and introduced several new techniques in horticulture.
Another notable Forsyth was James Forsyth (1766-1835), a Scottish missionary who played a pivotal role in the establishment of Christian missions in India. He was one of the first Protestant missionaries to work in the region and founded several educational institutions.
In the literary world, William Forsyth (1818-1879) was a Scottish writer and journalist who served as the editor of the Glasgow Constitutional and the Glasgow Herald. He was also a prolific author, publishing works on history and literature.
The Forsyth name has also been associated with the military, with individuals like James Forsyth (1789-1853), a British Army officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and the First Anglo-Burmese War, and Charles Forsyth (1819-1897), a British Army officer and administrator in India.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Forsyth
Among Census respondents with the surname Forsyth, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Forsyth 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 Forsyth surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 7,518
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 320
- Two or more races2.8% · 232
- Black or African American1.3% · 105
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 64
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 26
Timeline
Historical Census data for Forsyth
Forsyth 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
#4,194
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,450
+137 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 2.86
Rank movement Down 269 places
2020
#4,154
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,265
-185 bearers (-2.2%)
Per 100,000 2.77
Rank movement Up 40 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,925 | 8,313 | 3.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,194 | 8,450 | 2.86 | +137 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 269 places |
| 2020 | #4,154 | 8,265 | 2.77 | -185 bearers (-2.2%) | Up 40 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 Forsyth 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 | #4,194 | #4,154 | 1.0% |
| Count | 8,450 | 8,265 | -2.2% |
| Per 100K | 2.86 | 2.77 | -3.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Forsyth bearers went from 8,450 to 8,265 (-2.2% change). The surname moved up 40 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,194 to #4,154.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Forsyth
FAQ
Forsyth surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Forsyth?
Name Census estimates that about 9,478 living Americans carry the surname Forsyth. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 36,163 residents.
How common is Forsyth?
Forsyth ranks #4,154 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.77 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,265 people with the surname Forsyth. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,478), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.77 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Forsyth.
Has Forsyth become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Forsyth went from 8,450 recorded bearers to 8,265. That is a decrease of 185 (-2.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,194 to #4,154.
What does the Census say about the background of Forsyth?
Among Census respondents with the surname Forsyth, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Forsyth in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (7,518 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Forsyth appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Forsyth (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 Forsyth mean?
A Scottish locational surname derived from lands near the Forth river or from a Gaelic personal name. 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 Forsyth (2.77 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 Forsyth?
Want to know how many people have the surname Forsyth? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.