NameCensus.

UK surname

Forrester

An occupational surname for a keeper or inhabitant of a forest.

In the 1881 census there were 4,035 people recorded with the Forrester surname, ranking it #1,118 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,965, ranked #971, up from #1,118 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Staffordshire Moorlands, Stafford and West Calder and Polbeth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Forrester is 7,125 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 72.6%.

1881 census count

4,035

Ranked #1,118

Modern count

6,965

2016, ranked #971

Peak year

2010

7,125 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Forrester had 4,035 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,118 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,965 in 2016, ranked #971.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,374 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Forrester surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Forrester surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Forrester 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 2,254 #1,303
1861 historical 2,350 #1,249
1881 historical 4,035 #1,118
1891 historical 4,389 #1,078
1901 historical 5,374 #1,047
1911 historical 3,721 #1,396
1997 modern 6,297 #1,044
1998 modern 6,845 #983
1999 modern 6,917 #984
2000 modern 6,933 #980
2001 modern 6,777 #979
2002 modern 6,968 #975
2003 modern 6,807 #967
2004 modern 6,805 #973
2005 modern 6,741 #966
2006 modern 6,777 #962
2007 modern 6,777 #970
2008 modern 6,834 #970
2009 modern 7,004 #969
2010 modern 7,125 #973
2011 modern 7,032 #970
2012 modern 6,885 #968
2013 modern 7,010 #967
2014 modern 7,039 #970
2015 modern 6,992 #973
2016 modern 6,965 #971

Geography

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Where Forresters are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Staffordshire Moorlands, Stafford and West Calder and Polbeth. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Staffordshire Moorlands 013 Staffordshire Moorlands
2 Stafford 005 Stafford
3 West Calder and Polbeth West Lothian
4 Staffordshire Moorlands 012 Staffordshire Moorlands
5 Staffordshire Moorlands 010 Staffordshire Moorlands

Forenames

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First names often paired with Forrester

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Forrester

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Forrester surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Forrester household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Forrester 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

Forrester is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

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

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Forrester 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 Forrester 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 Forrester, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Forrester

The surname Forrester is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "foresta," which means "forester" or "keeper of the forest." The name first emerged in the Middle Ages, around the 12th and 13th centuries, when the concept of royal forests and the occupation of forester became prevalent.

The name is believed to have originated in areas of England with large forests, such as the counties of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, and Yorkshire. It was initially an occupational surname given to individuals whose profession was to guard and maintain the forests, often for the king or a nobleman.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Forrester can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were administrative records from the reign of King Edward I. The name appears as "le Forester," indicating its occupational origin.

In the 14th century, the Forrester family held lands in Northumberland, and a prominent member, Sir John Forrester, was recorded as serving in the Scottish Wars under King Edward III. Sir John's son, also named John Forrester, was born around 1350 and held the position of Warden of the Middle Marches, a crucial role in guarding the English-Scottish border.

Another notable figure from history was Sir Andrew Forrester, who was born in Scotland in the 15th century and served as a diplomat and ambassador for King James IV of Scotland. He played a significant role in negotiating the Treaty of Ayton in 1497, which temporarily resolved conflicts between England and Scotland.

In the 16th century, the Forrester family established themselves in Corstorphine, near Edinburgh, Scotland. One of the most famous members of this branch was Andrew Forrester (1535-1616), who became a prominent lawyer and served as Lord Justice Clerk of Scotland from 1598 until his death.

The name Forrester has also been associated with several place names, such as Forrester's Village in Pennsylvania, United States, and Forrester Hill in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, possibly named after early settlers bearing the surname.

Over the centuries, the surname Forrester has seen various spellings, including Forester, Forrister, and Forster, reflecting regional variations and changes in spelling conventions. However, the core meaning and origin of the name have remained consistent, tracing back to the occupation of guarding and maintaining forests.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Forrester families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Forrester 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. Staffordshire leads with 755 Forresters recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.70x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 755 5.70x
Lanarkshire 508 4.01x
Lancashire 301 0.65x
Fife 291 12.54x
Stirlingshire 240 16.59x
Cumberland 188 5.57x
Middlesex 172 0.44x
Midlothian 132 2.51x
Cheshire 110 1.27x
Angus 102 2.81x
Durham 101 0.87x
Surrey 101 0.53x
Shropshire 99 2.92x
Kent 89 0.67x
Yorkshire 83 0.21x
Dunbartonshire 71 6.74x
Warwickshire 66 0.67x
Renfrewshire 61 2.01x
Perthshire 53 3.01x
West Lothian 49 8.30x
Ayrshire 44 1.50x
Northumberland 38 0.65x
Worcestershire 37 0.72x
Essex 23 0.30x
Sussex 23 0.35x
Clackmannanshire 22 6.79x
Leicestershire 21 0.48x
Lincolnshire 21 0.33x
East Lothian 18 3.47x
Norfolk 18 0.30x
Devon 17 0.21x
Gloucestershire 16 0.21x
Dorset 14 0.54x
Glamorgan 14 0.21x
Argyllshire 13 1.19x
Suffolk 10 0.21x
Derbyshire 9 0.15x
Wiltshire 9 0.26x
Westmorland 8 0.93x
Hampshire 7 0.09x
Herefordshire 7 0.44x
Denbighshire 6 0.41x
Morayshire 6 0.98x
Monmouthshire 5 0.18x
Peeblesshire 4 2.17x
Radnorshire 4 1.26x
Buteshire 3 1.26x
Isle of Man 3 0.41x
Northamptonshire 3 0.08x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.06x
Roxburghshire 3 0.42x
Somerset 3 0.05x
Berkshire 2 0.07x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.13x
Nairnshire 2 1.67x
Royal Navy 2 0.43x
Hertfordshire 1 0.04x
Inverness-shire 1 0.09x
Kinross-shire 1 1.01x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.18x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.11x
Oxfordshire 1 0.04x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.08x
Wigtownshire 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. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 309 Forresters recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.01x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 309 22.01x
Barony 195 6.08x
Govan 131 4.18x
Glasgow 73 3.24x
Falkirk 71 20.97x
Dundee 68 5.01x
Burslem 59 15.56x
Old Monkland 55 10.93x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 50 2.37x
Caverswall 47 68.30x
Birmingham 40 1.21x
Kirkdale 34 4.34x
Tipton 34 8.39x
Alton 30 210.38x
Kingsley 30 121.61x
Cupar 29 28.72x
Dysart 29 18.55x
Dunfermline 28 7.84x
Liverpool 28 0.99x
Newcastle Under Lyme 28 11.95x
Beath 27 36.80x
Stirling 27 14.81x
Larbert 26 30.07x
Slamannan 26 32.83x
Boness 25 30.71x
Cumbernauld 24 41.56x
Willenhall 24 9.68x
Auchterderran 23 39.41x
Bewcastle 23 192.79x
Westoe 23 3.48x
Wolverhampton 23 2.26x
Shoreditch London 22 1.29x
Penrith 21 16.84x
Wolstanton 21 5.22x
Abbotshall 20 23.06x
Brightside Bierlow 20 2.62x
Liff Benvie 20 3.63x
Clee With Weelsby 19 13.84x
Abbey 18 3.88x
Barrow In Furness 18 2.84x
Bilston 18 7.02x
Chatham 18 4.89x
Kilmarnock 18 5.15x
Birkenhead 17 2.46x
Great Clacton 17 64.52x
West Calder 17 16.42x
Bathgate 16 12.48x
Denny 16 20.80x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 16 3.17x
Islington London 16 0.42x
Kettle 16 57.41x
Kingsdown In Dartford 16 286.74x
Lambeth 16 0.47x
Shotts 16 10.54x
St Pancras London 16 0.51x
Beckenham 15 8.58x
East Greenock 15 5.23x
Everton 15 1.01x
Kinghorn 15 30.44x
Twizell In Berwick 15 407.61x
Bromley London 14 1.62x
Cathcart 14 8.51x
Newington 14 0.97x
Old Kilpatrick 14 11.24x
Polmont 14 26.22x
Stockport 14 3.14x
West Derby 14 1.03x
Leslie 13 22.12x
Moreton Say 13 148.91x
South Leith 13 2.20x
Aston 12 0.44x
Cardross 12 9.48x
Kilmadock 12 29.65x
Kincardine 12 66.15x
Mile End Old Town London 12 1.44x
Norwich St George Tombland 12 113.21x
Prees 12 29.08x
Rushall 12 15.40x
Trentham 12 10.66x
Wem 12 23.81x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 188
Elizabeth 111
Sarah 80
Jane 53
Ann 47
Margaret 40
Annie 35
Hannah 32
Emma 30
Eliza 27
Emily 27
Alice 26
Martha 24
Ellen 21
Harriet 21
Louisa 19
Fanny 16
Agnes 15
Charlotte 13
Caroline 12
Janet 12
Lucy 11
Clara 10
Florence 10
Isabella 10
Ada 8
Amelia 8
Catherine 8
Edith 8
Gertrude 8
Maria 8
Minnie 8
Anna 6
Bridget 6
Esther 6
Frances 6
Harriett 6
Kate 6
Rose 6
Anne 5
Eleanor 5
Lydia 5
Selina 5
Dorothy 4
Elizth. 4
Francis 4
Julia 4
Matilda 4
Betsy 3
Maggie 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 169
John 163
Thomas 102
George 82
James 68
Joseph 60
Robert 50
Henry 43
Edward 30
Alfred 25
Charles 23
Albert 19
Arthur 17
Harry 17
Frank 12
Richard 12
Alexander 10
David 10
Frederick 10
Herbert 10
Samuel 10
Ernest 9
Thos. 8
Walter 8
Peter 7
Andrew 6
Anthony 6
Edwin 6
Robt. 6
Francis 5
Geo. 5
Tom 5
Benjamin 4
Fredk. 4
Hugh 4
Isaac 4
Ralph 4
Edwd. 3
Enoch 3
Leonard 3
Martin 3
Saml. 3
Stephen 3
Willm. 3
Wm. 3
Archibald 2
Charlie 2
Moses 2
Paul 2
Rd. 2

FAQ

Forrester surname: questions and answers

How common was the Forrester surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,035 people were recorded with the Forrester surname. That placed it at #1,118 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Forrester surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,965 in 2016. That gives Forrester a modern rank of #971.

What does the Forrester surname mean?

An occupational surname for a keeper or inhabitant of a forest.

What does the Forrester map show?

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