NameCensus.

UK surname

Forber

In the 1881 census there were 161 people recorded with the Forber surname, ranking it #14,801 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 373, ranked #12,515, up from #14,801 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Manchester, Hawarden and West Derby. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include St. Helens and Warrington.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Forber is 416 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 131.7%.

1881 census count

161

Ranked #14,801

Modern count

373

2016, ranked #12,515

Peak year

2010

416 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Forber had 161 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,801 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 373 in 2016, ranked #12,515.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 335 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Forber surname distribution map

The map shows where the Forber surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Forber surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Forber over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 132 #14,174
1861 historical 147 #15,539
1881 historical 161 #14,801
1891 historical 335 #10,181
1901 historical 293 #11,829
1911 historical 323 #10,842
1997 modern 368 #11,719
1998 modern 359 #12,321
1999 modern 363 #12,290
2000 modern 369 #12,106
2001 modern 364 #12,033
2002 modern 368 #12,168
2003 modern 377 #11,762
2004 modern 378 #11,757
2005 modern 360 #12,112
2006 modern 358 #12,234
2007 modern 368 #12,125
2008 modern 377 #12,014
2009 modern 399 #11,750
2010 modern 416 #11,627
2011 modern 395 #11,966
2012 modern 376 #12,262
2013 modern 389 #12,177
2014 modern 379 #12,483
2015 modern 378 #12,405
2016 modern 373 #12,515

Geography

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Where Forbers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Manchester, Hawarden, West Derby, Warrington and Prescot. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to St. Helens and Warrington. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Manchester Lancashire
2 Hawarden Cheshire
3 West Derby Lancashire
4 Warrington Lancashire
5 Prescot Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 St. Helens 019 St. Helens
2 St. Helens 015 St. Helens
3 Warrington 003 Warrington
4 St. Helens 016 St. Helens
5 St. Helens 014 St. Helens

Forenames

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First names often paired with Forber

These lists show first names that appear often with the Forber surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Forber

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Forber, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Forber surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Forber household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Forber is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Forber is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Forber falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Forber is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Forber, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Forber families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Forber surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 152 Forbers recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.16x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 152 8.16x
Flintshire 6 14.21x
Durham 1 0.21x
Middlesex 1 0.06x
Warwickshire 1 0.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Eccleston In Prescot in Lancashire leads with 66 Forbers recorded in 1881 and an index of 705.13x.

Place Total Index
Eccleston In Prescot 66 705.13x
Windle 20 190.66x
Parr 17 254.87x
Prescot 11 326.41x
Farnworth 9 80.57x
Rainhill 7 588.24x
Northop 6 400.00x
Rainford 4 198.02x
Hulme 3 7.71x
Warrington 3 13.58x
West Derby 3 5.50x
Manchester 2 2.39x
Sutton 2 32.00x
Toxteth Park 2 3.17x
Blackburn 1 2.02x
Oldham 1 1.66x
Studley 1 59.17x
West Herrington 1 60.98x
Whiston 1 68.97x
Willesden 1 6.76x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Forber surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 10
Elizabeth 9
Ellen 6
Ann 5
Margaret 4
Isabella 3
Jane 3
Sarah 3
Agnes 2
Alice 2
Anna 2
Anne 2
Annie 2
Hannah 2
Martha 2
Allice 1
Bertha 1
Catherine 1
Cecilia 1
Celia 1
Dora 1
Eleanor 1
Elizth. 1
Ella 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Gertrude 1
Grace 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Louisa 1
Margt. 1
Maria 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Forber surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 14
Thomas 13
James 11
John 8
Andrew 4
George 4
Joseph 4
Edward 3
Henry 3
Arthur 2
Harry 2
Richard 2
And. 1
Charles 1
Ed. 1
Ernest 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Harold 1
Job 1
Nelson 1
Noah 1
Peter 1
Robert 1
Thos. 1
W.H. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Forber surname: questions and answers

How common was the Forber surname in 1881?

In 1881, 161 people were recorded with the Forber surname. That placed it at #14,801 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Forber surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 373 in 2016. That gives Forber a modern rank of #12,515.

What does the Forber map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Forber bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.