2000
#1,474
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.20
Uncommon Last name
Forrest
One who lived near or worked in a royal forest, derived from the Old French word "forest."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 25,202 Americans carry the last name Forrest. That puts it at #1,593 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.35 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 13,600 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Forrest 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 Forrest with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
25K
1 in 13,600
Census rank
#1,593
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
22K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 21,977 bearers of the surname Forrest in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.35 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1593rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Forrest, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.1%. The next largest groups are Black (20.7%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Forrest
The surname Forrest is of English origin and is derived from the Old English word "fyrhþ" meaning a wood or forest. It is a locational surname that originally referred to someone who lived near or in a forest area.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname Forrest dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Foret". This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a comprehensive survey of land and landholdings in England.
During the medieval period, the surname was often recorded with various spellings such as Foreste, Forst, and Fforest. These variations were due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time.
The name Forrest has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Sir Adam Forrest, a Scottish knight who lived in the 13th century and fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence.
Another prominent figure was John Forrest, an English explorer and surveyor who lived from 1847 to 1918. He played a significant role in the exploration and mapping of Western Australia and was knighted for his contributions.
In the realm of literature, the surname Forrest is perhaps most famously associated with the American novelist and short story writer Nathan Bedford Forrest, who lived from 1899 to 1968. His works, including the novel "A Farewell to Arms," are considered literary masterpieces.
John William Forrest, born in 1847 and died in 1918, was an Australian explorer and politician who served as the first Premier of Western Australia from 1890 to 1901.
Lastly, Sir Andrew Forrest, born in 1961, is an Australian businessman and philanthropist known for his work in the mining industry and his advocacy for various charitable causes.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Forrest
Among Census respondents with the surname Forrest, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.1%. The next largest groups are Black (20.7%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Forrest 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 Forrest surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White70.1% · 15,413
- Black or African American20.7% · 4,554
- Two or more races4.3% · 954
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 722
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 184
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 150
Timeline
Historical Census data for Forrest
Forrest 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
#1,569
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,954
+830 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 7.78
Rank movement Down 95 places
2020
#1,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,977
-977 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 7.35
Rank movement Down 24 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,474 | 22,124 | 8.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,569 | 22,954 | 7.78 | +830 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 95 places |
| 2020 | #1,593 | 21,977 | 7.35 | -977 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 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 Forrest 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 | #1,569 | #1,593 | -1.5% |
| Count | 22,954 | 21,977 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 7.78 | 7.35 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Forrest bearers went from 22,954 to 21,977 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 24 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,569 to #1,593.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Forrest
FAQ
Forrest surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Forrest?
Name Census estimates that about 25,202 living Americans carry the surname Forrest. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 13,600 residents.
How common is Forrest?
Forrest ranks #1,593 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.35 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 21,977 people with the surname Forrest. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (25,202), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.35 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.35 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Forrest.
Has Forrest become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Forrest went from 22,954 recorded bearers to 21,977. That is a decrease of 977 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,569 to #1,593.
What does the Census say about the background of Forrest?
Among Census respondents with the surname Forrest, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.1%. The next largest groups are Black (20.7%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Forrest in the 2020 Census, accounting for 70.1% (15,413 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Forrest appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (70.1%), Black (20.7%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Forrest (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 Forrest mean?
One who lived near or worked in a royal forest, derived from the Old French word "forest." 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 Forrest (7.35 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 common is the surname Forrest?
See how many Americans have the surname Forrest on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.