2000
#2,891
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,387
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.22
Uncommon Last name
Forte
An Italian occupational surname referring to a strong or powerful person, or a person of strength.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,956 Americans carry the last name Forte. That puts it at #3,104 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 26,455 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Forte 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 Forte with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 26,455
Census rank
#3,104
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,298 bearers of the surname Forte in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3104th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Forte, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.3%. The next largest groups are Black (27.1%) and Hispanic (7.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Forte
The surname Forte is of Italian origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Italian word "forte," which means "strong" or "brave." The name likely originated as a nickname or descriptive term for someone who was physically strong or possessed a courageous character.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Forte can be found in the Florentine tax records of the 14th century, indicating that families bearing this surname resided in the city of Florence during that time. The name was also present in other regions of Italy, such as Naples and Puglia, where it may have evolved from different linguistic roots or been adopted by different families.
In the 15th century, a notable figure named Giovanni Forte (1475-1544) was a renowned Italian poet and humanist from Veneto. He was celebrated for his works that blended classical themes with contemporary ideas, contributing to the cultural renaissance of his era.
During the 16th century, the name Forte appeared in several historical documents, including the records of the Venetian Republic. One prominent individual was Jacopo Forte (1520-1592), a skilled architect and engineer who designed several notable buildings and fortifications in Venice and its surrounding areas.
In the 17th century, the name Forte gained recognition in the field of music. Alessandro Forte (1610-1670) was an Italian composer and violinist who worked in the court of the Holy Roman Emperor in Vienna. His compositions, particularly his violin sonatas, were highly regarded and influential during the Baroque period.
Another notable figure was Adriano Forte (1785-1865), an Italian architect and urban planner from Naples. He played a significant role in the redesign and modernization of the city's urban landscape in the 19th century, leaving a lasting impact on its architecture and infrastructure.
Throughout history, the surname Forte has been associated with various place names and older spellings. For instance, the town of Forte dei Marmi in Tuscany derives its name from the fortifications built in the area during the Renaissance period, possibly involving individuals with the surname Forte.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Forte
Among Census respondents with the surname Forte, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.3%. The next largest groups are Black (27.1%) and Hispanic (7.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Forte 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 Forte surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White60.3% · 6,811
- Black or African American27.1% · 3,060
- Hispanic or Latino7.5% · 850
- Two or more races3.9% · 439
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 99
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 39
Timeline
Historical Census data for Forte
Forte 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
#2,982
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,023
+636 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 4.08
Rank movement Down 91 places
2020
#3,104
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,298
-725 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 3.78
Rank movement Down 122 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,891 | 11,387 | 4.22 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,982 | 12,023 | 4.08 | +636 bearers (+5.6%) | Down 91 places |
| 2020 | #3,104 | 11,298 | 3.78 | -725 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 122 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 Forte 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 | #2,982 | #3,104 | -4.1% |
| Count | 12,023 | 11,298 | -6.0% |
| Per 100K | 4.08 | 3.78 | -7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Forte bearers went from 12,023 to 11,298 (-6.0% change). The surname moved down 122 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,982 to #3,104.
FAQ
Forte surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Forte?
Name Census estimates that about 12,956 living Americans carry the surname Forte. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 26,455 residents.
How common is Forte?
Forte ranks #3,104 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.78 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 11,298 people with the surname Forte. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,956), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.78 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 Forte.
Has Forte become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Forte went from 12,023 recorded bearers to 11,298. That is a decrease of 725 (-6.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,982 to #3,104.
What does the Census say about the background of Forte?
Among Census respondents with the surname Forte, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.3%. The next largest groups are Black (27.1%) and Hispanic (7.5%). 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 Forte in the 2020 Census, accounting for 60.3% (6,811 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Forte appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (60.3%), Black (27.1%), Hispanic (7.5%). 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 Forte (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 Forte mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to a strong or powerful person, or a person of strength. 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 Forte (3.78 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 Forte?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.