2000
#2,894
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,382
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.22
Uncommon Last name
Forsythe
From the Old English words "ford" and "syðe," meaning a person who lived near a shallow river crossing.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,888 Americans carry the last name Forsythe. That puts it at #3,123 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 26,595 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Forsythe 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 Forsythe with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 26,595
Census rank
#3,123
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,239 bearers of the surname Forsythe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3123rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Forsythe, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Black (4.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Forsythe
The surname Forsythe originated in Scotland, deriving from the Old English words "fors" meaning a waterfall or stream and "sithe" meaning a path or side. It was likely first used to describe someone living near a waterfall or stream path. The earliest recorded spelling of the name was found in the 13th century in the region of Forfarshire, now known as Angus, Scotland.
In the 16th century, the name Forsythe was recorded in the Parish Registers of Inverkeillor, Angus, Scotland. The name appeared as Forsyth, Forsythe, and Forsaith. During this time, the name was also found in the Fife region of Scotland, particularly in the parishes of Dysart and Markinch.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was John Forsyth, who was born in Scotland around 1450. He was a prominent merchant and landowner in the town of Montrose, Angus.
In the 17th century, the name Forsythe was found in various historical records, including the Hearth Tax Rolls of Stirlingshire and the Parish Registers of Alloa, Clackmannanshire. The name was also recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror.
A notable figure with the surname was William Forsyth (1737-1804), a Scottish botanist and co-founder of the Royal Horticultural Society. He made significant contributions to the study of plant diseases and the cultivation of fruit trees.
Another prominent individual was John Forsyth (1780-1841), an American statesman and diplomat. He served as the 13th United States Secretary of State from 1834 to 1841 under Presidents Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren.
In the 19th century, the name Forsythe was found in various parts of the United States, particularly in areas with Scottish immigration. James Forsyth (1818-1898) was a Canadian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Canadian House of Commons.
Other notable individuals with the surname include Robert Forsyth (1766-1846), a British army officer and colonial administrator in India, and James W. Forsyth (1836-1906), an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Representative from Illinois.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Forsythe
Among Census respondents with the surname Forsythe, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Black (4.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Forsythe 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 Forsythe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.7% · 9,741
- Black or African American4.8% · 534
- Two or more races3.6% · 408
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 399
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 79
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 78
Timeline
Historical Census data for Forsythe
Forsythe 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
#3,147
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,489
+107 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 3.89
Rank movement Down 253 places
2020
#3,123
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,239
-250 bearers (-2.2%)
Per 100,000 3.76
Rank movement Up 24 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,894 | 11,382 | 4.22 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,147 | 11,489 | 3.89 | +107 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 253 places |
| 2020 | #3,123 | 11,239 | 3.76 | -250 bearers (-2.2%) | Up 24 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 Forsythe 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 | #3,147 | #3,123 | 0.8% |
| Count | 11,489 | 11,239 | -2.2% |
| Per 100K | 3.89 | 3.76 | -3.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Forsythe bearers went from 11,489 to 11,239 (-2.2% change). The surname moved up 24 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,147 to #3,123.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Forsythe
FAQ
Forsythe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Forsythe?
Name Census estimates that about 12,888 living Americans carry the surname Forsythe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 26,595 residents.
How common is Forsythe?
Forsythe ranks #3,123 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.76 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,239 people with the surname Forsythe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,888), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.76 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Forsythe.
Has Forsythe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Forsythe went from 11,489 recorded bearers to 11,239. That is a decrease of 250 (-2.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,147 to #3,123.
What does the Census say about the background of Forsythe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Forsythe, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Black (4.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Forsythe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.7% (9,741 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Forsythe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.7%), Black (4.8%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Forsythe (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 Forsythe mean?
From the Old English words "ford" and "syðe," meaning a person who lived near a shallow river crossing. 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 Forsythe (3.76 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 surname Forsythe?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.