NameCensus.

UK surname

Forester

An occupational surname referring to a keeper or manager of a forest.

In the 1881 census there were 864 people recorded with the Forester surname, ranking it #4,378 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 522, ranked #9,693, down from #4,378 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Govan Combination and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, Bridgend and Sunderland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Forester is 864 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 39.6%.

1881 census count

864

Ranked #4,378

Modern count

522

2016, ranked #9,693

Peak year

1881

864 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Forester had 864 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,378 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 522 in 2016, ranked #9,693.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 864 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Forester surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Forester surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Forester 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 586 #4,364
1861 historical 754 #3,625
1881 historical 864 #4,378
1891 historical 861 #4,762
1901 historical 661 #6,556
1911 historical 549 #7,300
1997 modern 454 #10,004
1998 modern 502 #9,562
1999 modern 517 #9,427
2000 modern 496 #9,689
2001 modern 485 #9,688
2002 modern 496 #9,697
2003 modern 493 #9,588
2004 modern 498 #9,547
2005 modern 491 #9,566
2006 modern 496 #9,535
2007 modern 493 #9,662
2008 modern 494 #9,738
2009 modern 516 #9,614
2010 modern 523 #9,726
2011 modern 524 #9,625
2012 modern 507 #9,761
2013 modern 507 #9,917
2014 modern 521 #9,788
2015 modern 520 #9,741
2016 modern 522 #9,693

Geography

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Where Foresters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Govan Combination, St Pancras, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, Bridgend, Sunderland and Staffordshire Moorlands. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 006 Northumberland
2 Bridgend 008 Bridgend
3 Sunderland 019 Sunderland
4 Sunderland 020 Sunderland
5 Staffordshire Moorlands 004 Staffordshire Moorlands

Forenames

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First names often paired with Forester

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Forester

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Forester, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Forester surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Forester household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Forester is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Forester 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

Forester falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Forester is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Forester

The surname Forester is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "forester," which refers to a person who guarded or lived in a forest. The name has its origins in England, where the role of a forester was an important one during medieval times.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Forester can be traced back to the late 12th century. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Walter le Forester, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Berkshire in 1197. The Pipe Rolls were a series of administrative records maintained by the English Exchequer during the Norman and Angevin periods.

The surname Forester is also found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and resources in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The book mentions several individuals with the title "forester," indicating that the occupation was already well-established by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the surname Forester was particularly prominent in the counties of Staffordshire and Warwickshire. One notable individual was Sir John Forester, who was born around 1240 and served as the Sheriff of Staffordshire in 1285 and 1286. Another notable bearer of the name was Sir William Forester, born around 1310, who was a member of the English Parliament and served as the Sheriff of Warwickshire in 1349.

The surname Forester has been associated with several place names throughout England, such as Forester's Hall in Staffordshire and Forester's Wood in Warwickshire. These place names likely originated from individuals with the surname Forester who either lived or worked in those areas.

Other notable individuals with the surname Forester throughout history include:

1. John Forester (c. 1530-1586), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Warwick. 2. Robert Forester (1707-1778), an English merchant and politician who served as the Governor of the Bank of England. 3. Thomas Ignatius Maria Forester (1718-1811), an English novelist and writer. 4. Cecil Scott Forester (1899-1966), an English novelist best known for his Horatio Hornblower series of novels. 5. Amanda Forester (born 1976), an American author of historical romance novels.

The surname Forester has a rich history rooted in the medieval English occupation of forestry and woodland management. Its presence in important historical documents and its association with notable individuals throughout the centuries attest to its enduring legacy as a distinctive English surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Forester families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Forester 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. Middlesex leads with 107 Foresters recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.27x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 107 1.27x
Staffordshire 107 3.77x
Lancashire 70 0.70x
Cumberland 51 7.04x
Durham 48 1.92x
Shropshire 37 5.09x
Kent 35 1.22x
Lanarkshire 32 1.18x
Midlothian 31 2.75x
Warwickshire 27 1.27x
Angus 26 3.33x
Northumberland 24 1.92x
Derbyshire 20 1.52x
Hampshire 18 1.04x
Glamorgan 16 1.09x
Yorkshire 16 0.19x
Cheshire 15 0.81x
Essex 15 0.90x
West Lothian 13 10.25x
Surrey 12 0.29x
Renfrewshire 11 1.69x
Worcestershire 11 1.00x
Gloucestershire 10 0.61x
Roxburghshire 10 6.56x
Devon 9 0.51x
Lincolnshire 9 0.67x
Perthshire 8 2.12x
Sussex 8 0.56x
Clackmannanshire 7 10.07x
Flintshire 6 2.65x
Monmouthshire 6 0.99x
Ayrshire 5 0.79x
Buckinghamshire 5 0.98x
Leicestershire 5 0.54x
Somerset 5 0.37x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.35x
Stirlingshire 4 1.29x
Dunbartonshire 3 1.33x
Berwickshire 2 1.96x
Fife 2 0.40x
Herefordshire 2 0.58x
Wiltshire 2 0.27x
Banffshire 1 0.57x
Berkshire 1 0.16x
Channel Islands 1 0.40x
Denbighshire 1 0.31x
Inverness-shire 1 0.40x
Kinross-shire 1 4.70x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.82x
Northamptonshire 1 0.13x
Oxfordshire 1 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 17 Foresters recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.52x.

Place Total Index
Govan 17 2.52x
Liff Benvie 16 13.51x
Stoke Upon Trent 16 5.31x
Dalmeny 13 268.04x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 13 11.98x
Manchester 13 2.89x
Hammersmith London 12 5.79x
Paddington London 12 3.88x
Willenhall 12 22.55x
St Pancras London 11 1.62x
Wellington 11 26.91x
Westoe 11 7.75x
Dundee 10 3.43x
Great Salkeld 10 694.44x
Ipsley 10 257.07x
Islington London 10 1.23x
King Moor 10 724.64x
North Leith 10 19.16x
St Marylebone London 10 2.22x
Adderley 9 720.00x
Cannock 9 18.15x
Castleton 9 137.40x
Dover St Mary Virgin 9 32.37x
Wrotham 9 94.54x
Derby St Alkmund 8 20.25x
Glasgow 8 1.65x
Harborne 8 8.78x
Kirklinton Middle 8 683.76x
Newbattle 8 82.99x
Shoreditch London 8 2.19x
Walthamstow 8 13.38x
Aston 7 1.20x
Barking 7 14.40x
Leek Lowe 7 18.51x
Liverpool 7 1.15x
Millbrook 7 16.11x
Swansea Lower 7 93.71x
Sway 7 303.03x
Toxteth Park 7 2.07x
West Greenock 7 5.98x
Alloa 6 17.80x
Great Grimsby 6 7.02x
Lewisham 6 3.92x
Malpas Iscoyd 6 508.47x
Merrington 6 124.48x
Newport 6 20.67x
Polesworth 6 59.52x
Sedgley 6 5.69x
South Leith 6 4.73x
St Luke London 6 4.44x
Tipton 6 6.90x
Ashley 5 215.52x
Bethnal Green London 5 1.37x
Camberwell 5 0.93x
Clase 5 9.17x
Dawley 5 18.90x
Hove 5 8.03x
Old Monkland 5 4.63x
Pilsley In Chesterfield 5 318.47x
Scaleby 5 370.37x
Stainburn 5 769.23x
Walsall Foreign 5 3.41x
West Derby 5 1.71x
Amersham 4 55.40x
Ardwick 4 4.44x
Berwick Upon Tweed 4 15.07x
Bridgewater 4 10.87x
Cowpen 4 13.87x
Dalmellington 4 21.59x
Denston 4 312.50x
Failsworth 4 17.51x
Feckenham 4 31.80x
Inveresk 4 13.10x
Kingswinford 4 3.88x
Pendlebury 4 18.97x
Ponteland 4 310.08x
Redgorton 4 95.47x
Stanton Upon Hine Heath 4 208.33x
Stayley 4 18.83x
Stoke Damerel 4 3.26x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 56
Elizabeth 30
Sarah 24
Jane 23
Ann 21
Margaret 14
Emma 11
Hannah 11
Ellen 9
Emily 8
Martha 8
Catherine 7
Eliza 6
Harriet 6
Anne 5
Fanny 5
Isabella 5
Alice 4
Louisa 4
Matilda 4
Annie 3
Charlotte 3
Edith 3
Eleanor 3
Elizth. 3
Frances 3
Maria 3
Agnes 2
Amelia 2
Anna 2
Florence 2
Grace 2
Hephzibah 2
Jessie 2
Julia 2
Kate 2
Lucy 2
Margt. 2
Rebecca 2
Susan 2
Susannah 2
Augusta 1
Beatrice 1
Clementina 1
Dorothy 1
Elisabeth 1
Eliz. 1
Eliz.A. 1
Gertried 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 52
William 41
Thomas 28
James 25
George 21
Henry 19
Joseph 13
Charles 12
Edward 10
Robert 10
Arthur 7
Samuel 6
Benjamin 5
Francis 5
Frederick 5
Albert 4
Alfred 4
Harry 4
Herbert 4
Emanuel 3
Walter 3
Cecil 2
Frank 2
Merton 2
Moses 2
Orlando 2
W.H. 2
Alex. 1
Alexr. 1
Andrew 1
B. 1
David 1
Dennis 1
Edwd. 1
Edwin 1
Eli 1
Emilius 1
Enoch 1
Ernest 1
Feargerston 1
Geo. 1
Harold 1
Harrington 1
Hugh 1
Isaac 1
Leonard 1
Lewis 1
Mary 1
Matthew 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Forester surname: questions and answers

How common was the Forester surname in 1881?

In 1881, 864 people were recorded with the Forester surname. That placed it at #4,378 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Forester surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 522 in 2016. That gives Forester a modern rank of #9,693.

What does the Forester surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a keeper or manager of a forest.

What does the Forester map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Forester 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.