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

Forts, 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 Forts surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Forts in America

Forts is the 93921st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Forts surname appeared 195 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 Forts.

We can also compare 2010 data for Forts 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 Forts

The surname FORTS is believed to have originated in England, first appearing in historical records as early as the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "fort," which referred to a fortified place or stronghold. This suggests that the name may have originally been used to refer to someone who lived near or worked at a fort or castle.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire from 1195, which mention a William de la Fortes. The Latin prefix "de la" indicates that the name was likely a locational surname, referring to someone from a place called Forts or a similar name.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Fortes, Fortis, and Ffortes, reflecting the evolving spellings and pronunciations of the time. One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Forts, a knight who fought in the Battle of Crecy during the Hundred Years' War in 1346.

As the centuries progressed, the surname FORTS became more widespread across England, with various branches of the family establishing themselves in different regions. In the 16th century, records show a John Forts who was a prominent merchant in the city of Bristol, while in the 17th century, a Thomas Forts was a successful landowner in the county of Gloucestershire.

One of the most famous bearers of the FORTS name was Sir Edward Forts (1592-1675), a distinguished military commander who served as Governor of Virginia from 1624 to 1629. He played a crucial role in the establishment and development of the Virginia Colony, and his efforts were instrumental in securing the colony's survival during its early years.

Other notable figures with the FORTS surname include William Forts (1716-1795), a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in London, and Mary Forts (1788-1865), a celebrated author and poet whose works were widely read during the Romantic period.

Throughout its history, the FORTS surname has been closely associated with various locations and place names across England, such as Fortsgreen in Kent, Fortsmeadow in Gloucestershire, and Fortsbury in Wiltshire, reflecting the geographical origins and connections of different branches of the family.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Forts

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

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

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

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