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

Forward, 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 Forward surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Forward in America

Forward is the 16953rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Forward surname appeared 1,677 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Forward.

We can also compare 2010 data for Forward 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 Forward

The surname FORWARD is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "foreweard," meaning "going before" or "in front." It is believed to have originated in England during the Middle Ages, possibly as a descriptive name for someone who lived at the front of a village or settlement.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname FORWARD can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1200, where a certain Richard Forward is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by the early 13th century.

In the 14th century, the surname FORWARD appeared in various records, including the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where a William Forward is listed. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 also mention a John Forward.

The name FORWARD may have been influenced by the Old English place name "Forweard," which is thought to have been derived from the same root word. This place name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, indicating that it existed before the Norman Conquest.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname FORWARD was Sir John Forward (c. 1450-1516), a Member of Parliament for Somerset during the reign of Henry VIII. He was a prominent landowner and served as Sheriff of Somerset and Dorset.

Another historical figure bearing the surname FORWARD was Robert Forward (c. 1580-1658), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Upminster in Essex. He wrote several religious works, including "The Christian's Vade-Mecum" and "The Christian Soldier's Spiritual Armour."

In the 17th century, a family of FORWARDs became influential in the city of Bristol, England. One member, Thomas Forward (1634-1692), was a wealthy merchant and served as Mayor of Bristol in 1686.

The FORWARD surname also has a notable connection to Scotland, with a branch of the family settling in the Highlands. One of the earliest recorded Scottish FORWARDs was Alexander Forward (c. 1690-1766), a landowner and laird of the Arndilly estate in Banffshire.

Lastly, it is worth mentioning Sir Walter Forward (1786-1852), a British naval officer who distinguished himself during the Napoleonic Wars. He rose to the rank of Vice Admiral and was knighted for his service.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Forward

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Forward, 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!