NameCensus.

UK surname

Forman

An occupational surname referring to a foreman, a person who oversees workers.

In the 1881 census there were 1,538 people recorded with the Forman surname, ranking it #2,732 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,909, ranked #3,329, down from #2,732 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Peterhead Harbour, Peterhead Ugieside and Peterhead Links.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Forman is 1,981 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 24.1%.

1881 census count

1,538

Ranked #2,732

Modern count

1,909

2016, ranked #3,329

Peak year

2002

1,981 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Forman had 1,538 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,732 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,909 in 2016, ranked #3,329.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,705 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Forman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Forman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Forman 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 1,074 #2,610
1861 historical 1,082 #2,601
1881 historical 1,538 #2,732
1891 historical 1,602 #2,781
1901 historical 1,705 #3,023
1911 historical 1,516 #3,190
1997 modern 1,867 #3,229
1998 modern 1,931 #3,243
1999 modern 1,937 #3,262
2000 modern 1,945 #3,233
2001 modern 1,899 #3,240
2002 modern 1,981 #3,198
2003 modern 1,947 #3,185
2004 modern 1,926 #3,206
2005 modern 1,900 #3,215
2006 modern 1,888 #3,248
2007 modern 1,879 #3,285
2008 modern 1,860 #3,327
2009 modern 1,918 #3,318
2010 modern 1,940 #3,359
2011 modern 1,918 #3,350
2012 modern 1,843 #3,419
2013 modern 1,873 #3,413
2014 modern 1,916 #3,372
2015 modern 1,918 #3,335
2016 modern 1,909 #3,329

Geography

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Where Formans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Edinburgh and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Peterhead Harbour, Peterhead Ugieside, Peterhead Links, Rugby and East Lindsey. 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 London parishes London 3
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Peterhead Harbour Aberdeenshire
2 Peterhead Ugieside Aberdeenshire
3 Peterhead Links Aberdeenshire
4 Rugby 001 Rugby
5 East Lindsey 001 East Lindsey

Forenames

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First names often paired with Forman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Forman

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

Spacious Rural Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Forman 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

Forman 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

Forman falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Forman 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 Forman, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Forman

The surname Forman originated from the Old French word "fermier" meaning a farmer, particularly a tax farmer or rent collector. The name first appeared in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. It was derived from the occupation of an overseer of an estate or a tax collector.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Forman can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Ferman". This suggests that the name was already in use in England by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name Forman appeared in various forms, such as Formon, Formun, and Furman, in records from counties like Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk. These variations likely stemmed from regional dialects and spelling variations.

One notable person with the surname Forman was Simon Forman (1552-1611), an English occultist, astrologer, and herbalist. He was known for his extensive diaries, which provide valuable insights into life in Elizabethan England.

Another prominent Forman was Robert Forman (1635-1708), a Scottish Presbyterian minister and one of the founders of the Presbyterian Church in America. He played a significant role in the establishment of religious freedom in the American colonies.

In the 18th century, John Forman (1712-1794) was a renowned English topographer and antiquarian. He is best known for his groundbreaking work, "The Topographical Description of the County of Kent," which was published in 1776.

The name Forman has also been associated with places like Forman's Island in Maryland, United States, which was named after Ezekiel Forman, an early settler in the region.

In the 19th century, James Forman (1826-1905) was a Scottish-American architect who designed numerous notable buildings in New York City, including the St. Nicholas Hotel and the City Hall Post Office.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals with the surname Forman throughout history. The name has a rich history and has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions across various parts of the world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Forman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Forman 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. Lincolnshire leads with 260 Formans recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.81x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 260 10.81x
Middlesex 179 1.19x
Aberdeenshire 110 7.90x
Surrey 102 1.39x
Leicestershire 80 4.80x
Yorkshire 69 0.46x
Kent 67 1.31x
Midlothian 65 3.23x
Nottinghamshire 65 3.21x
Derbyshire 56 2.38x
Northumberland 54 2.41x
Lancashire 52 0.29x
Staffordshire 47 0.93x
Suffolk 33 1.80x
Durham 32 0.72x
Angus 25 1.79x
Essex 25 0.84x
Lanarkshire 25 0.51x
Cambridgeshire 22 2.31x
Warwickshire 19 0.50x
Fife 17 1.91x
Berwickshire 16 8.78x
East Lothian 14 7.03x
Worcestershire 13 0.66x
Cheshire 10 0.30x
Norfolk 10 0.43x
Berkshire 9 0.80x
Buckinghamshire 9 0.99x
Hampshire 6 0.19x
Gloucestershire 5 0.17x
Cornwall 4 0.23x
Perthshire 4 0.59x
Shropshire 4 0.31x
Banffshire 3 0.96x
Bedfordshire 3 0.39x
Channel Islands 3 0.67x
Dorset 3 0.30x
Northamptonshire 3 0.21x
Glamorgan 2 0.08x
Hertfordshire 2 0.19x
Roxburghshire 2 0.73x
Somerset 2 0.08x
Sussex 2 0.08x
Wiltshire 2 0.15x
Clackmannanshire 1 0.81x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.25x
Kincardineshire 1 0.55x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.46x
Oxfordshire 1 0.11x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.21x
Royal Navy 1 0.56x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Peterhead in Aberdeenshire leads with 53 Formans recorded in 1881 and an index of 71.94x.

Place Total Index
Peterhead 53 71.94x
Lonmay 43 339.92x
Louth 30 54.43x
Leicester St Margaret 23 5.66x
Mansfield 22 31.36x
Great Grimsby 21 13.76x
Lambeth 20 1.52x
Barwell 19 215.42x
Battersea 19 3.43x
Helpringham 18 371.13x
Kensington London 18 2.15x
St Marylebone London 18 2.24x
Barony 17 1.38x
Cleethorpes 17 120.14x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 16 1.97x
Basford 15 16.05x
Paddington London 15 2.71x
Chellaston 14 546.88x
Leicester St Mary 14 10.39x
Burton Upon Trent 13 10.94x
Southwark St Saviour 13 16.82x
Bardney 12 167.36x
Birmingham 12 0.95x
Islington London 12 0.82x
Kings Norton 12 6.81x
North Leith 12 12.87x
Toynton St Peter 12 701.75x
Wemyss 12 31.86x
Wimblington 12 213.52x
Clerkenwell London 11 3.10x
Keddington 11 1222.22x
Camberwell 10 1.04x
Derby St Peter 10 13.33x
Nottingham St Mary 10 1.91x
Strichen 10 82.58x
Whitsome 10 346.02x
Aylesbury 9 22.33x
Edinburgh St Stephens 9 22.69x
Hinckley 9 22.75x
Sculcoates 9 3.81x
South Leith 9 3.97x
St Lawrence 9 25.50x
Chigwell 8 28.54x
Cowlinge 8 228.57x
Dunbar 8 28.64x
Grimoldby 8 427.81x
Hackney London 8 0.95x
Hammersmith London 8 2.16x
Litchurch 8 8.44x
Morpeth 8 30.40x
Newington 8 1.44x
North South Gosforth 8 280.70x
Preston 8 1.68x
St Pancras London 8 0.66x
St Vigeans 8 10.64x
Stranton 8 5.31x
Streatham 8 7.17x
Ulceby 8 136.75x
Chelsea London 7 1.54x
Darlaston 7 9.98x
Doncaster 7 6.43x
Ecclesall Bierlow 7 2.31x
Liverpool 7 0.65x
Milton In Gravesend 7 9.10x
Raithby In Louth 7 804.60x
St Luke London 7 2.90x
West Stow 7 721.65x
Westminster St John 7 3.82x
Barton St Peter 6 54.45x
Cambusnethan 6 5.55x
Croydon 6 1.47x
Deptford St Paul 6 1.52x
Linthorpe 6 6.75x
Sheffield 6 1.26x
South Carlton 6 666.67x
South Kyme 6 219.78x
St George Hanover Square 6 2.26x
Tranent 6 22.29x
Walsall Foreign 6 2.29x
Woodhorn Hirst 6 487.80x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 78
Elizabeth 46
Sarah 45
Eliza 23
Emma 22
Jane 22
Ann 21
Annie 17
Ellen 12
Martha 12
Alice 11
Fanny 11
Frances 11
Louisa 10
Margaret 10
Charlotte 9
Emily 9
Ada 8
Caroline 7
Catherine 7
Hannah 7
Harriet 7
Harriett 7
Maria 7
Amelia 6
Edith 6
Florence 6
Isabella 6
Kate 6
Rebecca 6
Susan 6
Agnes 5
Anne 5
Clara 5
Gertrude 5
Lucy 5
Helen 4
Lizzie 4
Minnie 4
Betsy 3
Bridget 3
Elizth. 3
Helena 3
Marion 3
Anna 2
Barbara 2
Elizh. 2
Eva 2
Louise 2
Violet 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 81
William 76
George 51
James 39
Thomas 37
Charles 36
Henry 32
Joseph 24
Robert 23
Samuel 15
Edward 14
Alfred 13
Arthur 12
Richard 10
Frederick 9
Harry 8
Walter 8
Frank 7
Albert 5
Benjamin 5
Chas. 5
Herbert 5
Daniel 4
David 4
Francis 4
Wm. 4
Ernest 3
Felix 3
Fred 3
Michael 3
Percy 3
Sidney 3
Stephen 3
Sydney 3
Adam 2
Edmund 2
Edwin 2
Fredk. 2
Geo. 2
Jesse 2
Paul 2
Ralph 2
Tom 2
Augustus 1
Bailey 1
Elijah 1
Emily 1
Enoch 1
Isaac 1
Wm.L. 1

FAQ

Forman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Forman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,538 people were recorded with the Forman surname. That placed it at #2,732 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Forman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,909 in 2016. That gives Forman a modern rank of #3,329.

What does the Forman surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a foreman, a person who oversees workers.

What does the Forman map show?

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