Surname Forrest - Meaning and Origin

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Dive into a breath-taking journey of personal exploration and an unexpected familial bonding brought about by the iGENEA DNA test, centered around the discovery of the ancient European roots of the surname Forrest.

X. Forrest

Forrest: What does the surname Forrest mean?

The last name Forrest is an English and Scottish surname which is likely derived from old English language. The name is derived from the word 'forrest' meaning forest. The name probably referred to someone who lived near a forest or who worked a profession related to the forestry industry.

Early records of the name Forrest began in the 16th century and historians suggest the first recorded person to have the Forrest last name came from Scotland. It is also possible to have roots in France, since the Latin phrase "forestis" was used to describe a person who came from the forest.

The surname Forrest is associated with several individuals throughout history. Some well-known Forrests include Lucretia Mott Forrest, a leader in the early American women's rights movement, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1803, and Sidney Forrest, commander of the 4th Division during World War One, who was born in Scotland in 1876.

In modern times, the Forrest surname has spread to other countries such as America and Australia. It is also found in many regions of England and Scotland, where it is amongst the top hundred most popular surnames.

Forrest: Where does the name Forrest come from?

The last name Forrest is most common today in the United States and Canada. According to the US Census Bureau, there were approximatly 45,000 people with the last name Forrest in 2017. The name Forrest is more prevalent in some parts of the United States than in others with some states having significantly higher population numbers such as South Carolina (6,361 people with the last name Forrest), Virginia (5,135) and Tennessee (4,595). Geographically, the most populous regions within the US for the Forrest last name are the South East, Mid-Atlantic, and parts of Texas.

In Canada, the Forrest name is less prevalent, likely due to the country's smaller population. According to Statistics Canada, there were only 5,895 people with the Forrest last name in 2017. Similar to the United States, it is most common in the eastern provinces, most notably Ontario (2,170) and Quebec (1,745).

Recent immigration may have also had an influence on the spread of this last name as the Forrest surname has been observed to be more common in the US city of Baltimore than in its corresponding counties.

Variations of the surname Forrest

The surname Forrest is derived from the Old French word ‘forest’, which means ‘woods’ or ‘forest’. It was typically adopted by people living near a wood or a forest. Over the years, the surname has been spelled in various ways, including Forrest, Forester, Forestier, Forestieri, Forestiere, Foresti, Forster, Forestero, Forsterer, Forresta, Forreste, Foresteri, and Forestié. Variants of Forrest may also appear differently in different parts of the world, owing to the various languages and dialects spoken there.

In the UK, Forrest is primarily found in Scotland and Northern Ireland. In these areas, it is usually spelled as Forrest or Forsyth. In France, the spelling Forester is more common. In Italian, the most common form of the surname is Foresti or Forestier. In Germany, the name is generally spelled as Forster, Förster, Forstner, or Forsterling. In Spain, variants include Forest, Foresto, and Forst. In Poland, Forrest would be spelled as Forest. In the Netherlands, the name is typically spelled as Forster or Forrestier. In Ukraine, the name can be spelled as Forest.

In addition to the variant spellings, many family names are derived from the original surname Forrest. These include Foresta, Forrestal, Forrestel, Forester, and Forresto. In the United States and Canada, Forrest has become modernized as Forest and Forest Urban, with additional variations appearing as Forchon, Forschon, Ferson, Forsen, Forsten, Forschun, Fersh, Fersten, Forche, Fawcett, and Fersch.

Famous people with the name Forrest

• Nathan Forrest: American Civil War Confederate general
• Emma Forrest: British novelist, screenwriter, journalist and mental health activist
• Arthur Forrest: Australian politician
• Edward Forrest: American vaudeville and Broadway actor
• Neville Forrest: Australian footballer
• Frédéric Forrest: American actor
• Garret Forrest: American actor
• Janine Forrest: Australian author
• Fraser Forrest: Scottish footballer
• John Forrest: Australian explorer, surveyor and politician

Other surnames

ForresterForret