UK surname
An occupational surname originating from the Old French forester, referring to someone who worked in a forest or lived near one.
In the 1881 census there were 142 people recorded with the Forrister surname, ranking it #16,012 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 66, ranked #33,948, down from #16,012 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and Norton-in-the-Moors. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Forrister is 279 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 53.5%.
1881 census count
142
Ranked #16,012
Modern count
66
2016, ranked #33,948
Peak year
1851
279 bearers
Map years
5
1851 to 1901
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Forrister surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Forrister surname density by area, 1881 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 279 | #8,067 |
| 1861 | historical | 200 | #12,005 |
| 1881 | historical | 142 | #16,012 |
| 1891 | historical | 225 | #13,714 |
| 1901 | historical | 127 | #19,893 |
| 1911 | historical | 81 | #24,719 |
| 1997 | modern | 47 | #32,975 |
| 1998 | modern | 58 | #32,138 |
| 1999 | modern | 61 | #31,971 |
| 2000 | modern | 59 | #32,217 |
| 2001 | modern | 60 | #31,985 |
| 2002 | modern | 60 | #32,388 |
| 2003 | modern | 61 | #32,352 |
| 2004 | modern | 61 | #32,581 |
| 2005 | modern | 61 | #32,814 |
| 2006 | modern | 59 | #33,330 |
| 2007 | modern | 61 | #33,440 |
| 2008 | modern | 59 | #33,827 |
| 2009 | modern | 64 | #33,675 |
| 2010 | modern | 62 | #34,069 |
| 2011 | modern | 66 | #33,768 |
| 2012 | modern | 71 | #33,573 |
| 2013 | modern | 69 | #33,808 |
| 2014 | modern | 72 | #33,647 |
| 2015 | modern | 71 | #33,666 |
| 2016 | modern | 66 | #33,948 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Norton-in-the-Moors, Trowbridge and Wolstanton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wolverhampton | Staffordshire |
| 2 | Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff | Gloucestershire |
| 3 | Norton-in-the-Moors | Staffordshire |
| 4 | Trowbridge | Wiltshire |
| 5 | Wolstanton | Staffordshire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Forrister surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Forrister, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Forrister surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Forrister household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Forrister is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Forrister is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Forrister, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Forrister is an English habitational name derived from the Old English words "fyrð" meaning forest or wood and "sittere" meaning dweller or resident. This suggests the name originated from someone who lived in or near a wooded area. The surname is found most commonly in the northern counties of England, particularly Yorkshire and Lancashire, indicating its likely place of origin.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297, which lists a Robert Forester. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also mention a William le Forester in Cambridgeshire. These early records demonstrate the variation in spelling common during that time, with Forester being an alternate form of the name.
The Forrister surname appears to have evolved from the more common Forester or Forrester variations. This may have occurred through regional dialect or scribal error in transcribing the name. In the Leyburn Parish Register of Yorkshire from 1584, there is a record of a Thomas Forrister, one of the earliest known examples of this precise spelling.
A notable early bearer of the name was Sir John Forrester, a Scottish knight who fought alongside William Wallace and Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. Another historical figure was Andrew Forrester, a 16th-century Scottish Protestant reformer and early translator of the Bible into Scots language.
In the 17th century, a branch of the Forrister family settled in County Armagh, Ireland. One prominent member was William Forrister, born in 1635, who served as a captain in the British Army during the Williamite War in Ireland in the 1690s.
Other notable individuals with the Forrister surname include David Forrister (1790-1868), a Scottish landscape painter known for his depictions of Scottish Highland scenes, and John Forrister (1851-1923), a British businessman and philanthropist who donated funds to establish the Forrister Technical College in his hometown of Preston, Lancashire.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Forrister surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Staffordshire leads with 89 Forristers recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.04x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Staffordshire | 89 | 19.04x |
| Wiltshire | 12 | 9.80x |
| Cheshire | 8 | 2.62x |
| Yorkshire | 7 | 0.51x |
| Angus | 6 | 4.68x |
| Lanarkshire | 4 | 0.89x |
| Lancashire | 4 | 0.24x |
| Middlesex | 4 | 0.29x |
| Kent | 3 | 0.63x |
| Shropshire | 3 | 2.51x |
| Carmarthenshire | 1 | 1.71x |
| Worcestershire | 1 | 0.55x |
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 31 Forristers recorded in 1881 and an index of 62.53x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Stoke Upon Trent | 31 | 62.53x |
| Leek Lowe | 12 | 192.93x |
| Trowbridge | 9 | 166.36x |
| Wolverhampton | 8 | 22.25x |
| Caverswall | 7 | 288.07x |
| Hipperholme Cum | 6 | 99.50x |
| Tipton | 6 | 41.90x |
| Wolstanton | 6 | 42.25x |
| Macclesfield | 5 | 36.79x |
| Norton In Moors | 5 | 202.43x |
| Trentham | 5 | 125.63x |
| Wolstanton Knutton | 5 | 175.44x |
| Dundee | 4 | 8.35x |
| Barony | 3 | 2.65x |
| Cricklade St Sampson | 3 | 526.32x |
| Drayton In Hales | 3 | 121.46x |
| Lewisham | 3 | 11.90x |
| St Marylebone London | 3 | 4.06x |
| Brechin | 2 | 39.68x |
| Cheddleton | 2 | 204.08x |
| Chester St Martin | 2 | 408.16x |
| Dilhorne | 2 | 256.41x |
| Warrington | 2 | 10.27x |
| Govan | 1 | 0.90x |
| Islington London | 1 | 0.74x |
| Little Budworth | 1 | 384.62x |
| Llandingat | 1 | 75.19x |
| Pershore Holy Cross | 1 | 86.21x |
| Prescot | 1 | 33.67x |
| Stretford | 1 | 11.06x |
| York St Peter Le | 1 | 384.62x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Forrister surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| Mary | 11 |
| Sarah | 10 |
| Ann | 6 |
| Ellen | 4 |
| Emily | 4 |
| Amelia | 3 |
| Fanny | 3 |
| Jane | 3 |
| Alice | 2 |
| Elizabeth | 2 |
| Emma | 2 |
| Lily | 2 |
| Louisa | 2 |
| Phoebe | 2 |
| Ada | 1 |
| Beatrice | 1 |
| Betsy | 1 |
| Bettsy | 1 |
| Caroline | 1 |
| Cathrine | 1 |
| Elizabth. | 1 |
| Esthur | 1 |
| Eveleen | 1 |
| Gertrude | 1 |
| Kate | 1 |
| Lidia | 1 |
| Lucy | 1 |
| Margret | 1 |
| Martha | 1 |
| Mildred | 1 |
| Minnie | 1 |
| Rachael | 1 |
| Ruth | 1 |
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Forrister surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Forrister households.
FAQ
In 1881, 142 people were recorded with the Forrister surname. That placed it at #16,012 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 66 in 2016. That gives Forrister a modern rank of #33,948.
An occupational surname originating from the Old French forester, referring to someone who worked in a forest or lived near one.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Forrister bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.