How common is the surname Forrest?

22,954 people in the United States had the surname Forrest in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 13,451 Americans. It ranked 1,569th of 162,253 surnames.

Who is the most famous person named Forrest?

Frederic Forrest, American actor (1936–2023), followed by Steve Forrest.

Where is the surname Forrest most common?

Wikidata records people named Forrest in the United States, Australia and Canada.

Is the surname Forrest getting more or less common?

More common. 22,124 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 22,954 in 2010, up 3.8%.

Is Forrest also a first name?

Yes. Forrest is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.

The surname Forrest

A place surname, carried by 22,954 people in the United States.

2 syllables Soundex F623 Also a first name

Every surname held by 100 or more people in the 2010 US Census, most common on the left (162,253 in all). Forrest is more common than 99% of them.

Origin

English surname, from the noun forest. Also adopted and translated from the word for "forest" in various other languages by settlers.

Forrest is a place surname: taken from where an ancestor lived or came from.

Origin from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

How common it is

2010 US Census

There were 22,954 people named Forrest in the United States in 2010, about 1 in every 13,451 Americans. That is up 3.8% since 2000, when the Census counted 22,124.

#1,569

rank among US surnames

22,954

people in 2010

7.8

per 100,000 Americans

+3.8%

change since 2000 (was #1,474)

Rank	Surname	People	1 in
#1,560	Gallo	23,056	13,391
#1,561	Egan	23,048	13,396
#1,562	Aldridge	23,034	13,404
#1,563	Swenson	23,009	13,418
#1,564	Swan	23,001	13,423
#1,565	Hinkle	22,983	13,434
#1,567	Butcher	22,978	13,437

Who is named Forrest

Race and Hispanic origin as people reported it in the 2010 Census

73% of people named Forrest identified as white (not Hispanic), 20% as Black (not Hispanic) and 2.5% as Hispanic or Latino (any race).

White (not Hispanic) 73%
Black (not Hispanic) 20%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2.5%
Two or more races 2.4%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.7%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.6%

Compare: most common surnames among white Americans.

Famous Forrests

18 notable people on Wikidata, most written-about first

Frederic Forrest
American actor (1936–2023)
Steve Forrest
American actor (1925–2013)
John Forrest
Australian explorer and politician (1847-1918)
Sally Forrest
American actress (1928–2013)
Vernon Forrest
American boxer (1971–2009)
Steve Forrest
American drummer, born 1986
Helen Forrest
American singer (1917-1999)
Jimmy Forrest
African American jazz musician (1920-1980)
William Forrest
American actor (1902–1989)
Allan Forrest
Actor (1885-1941)
Trent Forrest
American basketball player (born 1998)
Edwin Forrest
American actor (1806-1872)

Notable Forrests come mostly from the United States (14), Australia (3) and Canada (1).

Spellings and sound-alikes

Useful when a record has your ancestor under another spelling

Surnames that sound like Forrest

Forrest has the Soundex code F623, the code US census indexes have used since the 1930s. Every surname with code F623.

Questions

Where does the surname Forrest come from?: English surname, from the noun forest. Also adopted and translated from the word for "forest" in various other languages by settlers.
How common is the surname Forrest?: 22,954 people in the United States had the surname Forrest in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 13,451 Americans. It ranked 1,569th of 162,253 surnames.
What ethnicity is the surname Forrest?: In the 2010 Census, 73% of people named Forrest identified as white (not Hispanic), and 20% as Black (not Hispanic).
Who is the most famous person named Forrest?: Frederic Forrest, American actor (1936–2023), followed by Steve Forrest.
Where is the surname Forrest most common?: Wikidata records people named Forrest in the United States, Australia and Canada.
What type of surname is Forrest?: Forrest is a place surname, taken from where an ancestor lived or came from.
Is the surname Forrest getting more or less common?: More common. 22,124 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 22,954 in 2010, up 3.8%.
Is Forrest also a first name?: Yes. Forrest is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.