NameCensus.

UK surname

Forster

An occupational surname referring to a forest keeper, ranger, or woodsman managing and protecting the forest.

In the 1881 census there were 9,799 people recorded with the Forster surname, ranking it #436 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 12,179, ranked #538, down from #436 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, Carlisle and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Forster is 12,946 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 24.3%.

1881 census count

9,799

Ranked #436

Modern count

12,179

2016, ranked #538

Peak year

1911

12,946 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Forster had 9,799 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #436 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 12,179 in 2016, ranked #538.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 12,946 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Forster surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Forster surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Forster 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 8,229 #335
1861 historical 7,065 #401
1881 historical 9,799 #436
1891 historical 10,108 #437
1901 historical 11,582 #451
1911 historical 12,946 #376
1997 modern 11,950 #515
1998 modern 12,456 #514
1999 modern 12,510 #515
2000 modern 12,593 #509
2001 modern 12,297 #510
2002 modern 12,532 #511
2003 modern 12,070 #520
2004 modern 11,967 #525
2005 modern 11,685 #532
2006 modern 11,651 #534
2007 modern 11,704 #534
2008 modern 11,749 #535
2009 modern 12,085 #533
2010 modern 12,405 #534
2011 modern 12,292 #533
2012 modern 12,106 #533
2013 modern 12,314 #536
2014 modern 12,328 #537
2015 modern 12,261 #537
2016 modern 12,179 #538

Geography

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Where Forsters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes, Gateshead, Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon) and Bishop Wearmouth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, Carlisle and County Durham. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon) Northumberland
5 Bishop Wearmouth Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 039 Northumberland
2 Northumberland 035 Northumberland
3 Carlisle 002 Carlisle
4 Carlisle 007 Carlisle
5 County Durham 001 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Forster

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Forster

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Forster surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Forster 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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, Forster 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

Forster is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Forster falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Forster

The surname Forster is an occupational name that originated from the Old English word "foresterie", which refers to a person who lived or worked in a forest. It is believed to have first appeared in England during the Anglo-Saxon period, around the 7th to 11th centuries.

The earliest known use of the name Forster can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was recorded as "Forestre" and "Forestarius". This historical record suggests that individuals with this surname were likely employed as foresters or wardens of royal hunting grounds and forests.

In the early medieval period, the name Forster was predominantly found in areas with significant woodland or forest regions, such as Yorkshire, Northumberland, and the Midlands. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name include William le Forester, who lived in Staffordshire in 1199, and Richard le Forester, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1230.

As time passed, the spelling of the name evolved, with variations like Forster, Foster, and Foster emerging. One notable bearer of this surname was John Forster (c. 1520-1602), an English Protestant reformer and martyr. Another prominent figure was Sir John Forster (1520-1602), an English soldier and border warden who played a crucial role in defending the English-Scottish border during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the literary realm, Edward Morgan Forster (1879-1970) was a renowned English novelist, essayist, and short story writer, best known for his works such as "A Room with a View", "Howards End", and "A Passage to India". He is widely regarded as one of the most influential writers of the 20th century.

Other notable individuals with the surname Forster include Robert Forster (1941-2019), an American actor known for his roles in films like "Jackie Brown" and "Breaking Bad"; Georg Forster (1754-1794), a German naturalist, ethnologist, and revolutionary writer; and John Forster (1812-1876), an English biographer and literary critic, best remembered for his biography of Charles Dickens.

While the surname Forster has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and various European countries, due to migration and historical events. However, its origins can be traced back to the Old English word "foresterie" and the occupation of forest wardens and workers in medieval England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Forster families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Forster 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. Durham leads with 2,628 Forsters recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.22x.

County Total Index
Durham 2,628 9.22x
Northumberland 1,956 13.72x
Lancashire 807 0.71x
Middlesex 727 0.76x
Cheshire 616 2.91x
Yorkshire 583 0.61x
Cumberland 496 6.01x
Surrey 305 0.65x
Norfolk 296 2.01x
Kent 213 0.65x
Staffordshire 165 0.51x
Essex 102 0.54x
Warwickshire 77 0.32x
Suffolk 74 0.63x
Devon 62 0.31x
Hampshire 55 0.28x
Leicestershire 50 0.47x
Midlothian 47 0.37x
Derbyshire 35 0.23x
Lanarkshire 35 0.11x
Worcestershire 33 0.26x
Berkshire 30 0.42x
Glamorgan 30 0.18x
Gloucestershire 29 0.15x
Hertfordshire 29 0.44x
Wiltshire 29 0.34x
Cambridgeshire 24 0.40x
Isle of Man 24 1.35x
Sussex 22 0.14x
Northamptonshire 20 0.22x
Shropshire 20 0.24x
Somerset 20 0.13x
Lincolnshire 17 0.11x
Monmouthshire 17 0.25x
Westmorland 14 0.67x
Renfrewshire 13 0.18x
Angus 9 0.10x
Cardiganshire 9 0.39x
Channel Islands 9 0.32x
Royal Navy 9 0.79x
Bedfordshire 8 0.16x
Buckinghamshire 8 0.14x
Kirkcudbrightshire 8 0.58x
Carmarthenshire 7 0.17x
Cornwall 6 0.06x
Nottinghamshire 6 0.05x
Ayrshire 5 0.07x
Berwickshire 5 0.43x
Morayshire 5 0.34x
Dumfriesshire 4 0.19x
Herefordshire 4 0.10x
Oxfordshire 4 0.07x
Huntingdonshire 3 0.16x
Stirlingshire 2 0.06x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.01x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.03x
Dorset 1 0.02x
Fife 1 0.02x
Merionethshire 1 0.06x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.03x
Ross-shire 1 0.04x
Selkirkshire 1 0.12x
Wigtownshire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Gateshead in Durham leads with 263 Forsters recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.33x.

Place Total Index
Gateshead 263 12.33x
Bishopwearmouth 163 6.66x
Elswick 133 11.69x
Westgate 122 13.82x
Westoe 121 7.49x
Alnwick 103 42.03x
Islington London 101 1.09x
Newcastle On Tyne St 97 13.13x
Warrington 97 7.20x
Winlaton 97 35.48x
Darlington 89 8.09x
Cowpen 88 26.81x
Allendale 86 65.08x
Heworth 84 14.96x
Byker 81 11.50x
Longbenton 80 13.25x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 79 9.28x
Stanhope 73 24.81x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 66 5.35x
Kensington London 65 1.22x
Hexham 63 28.56x
Tynemouth 62 8.12x
Whickham 62 23.64x
St Pancras London 58 0.75x
Middlesbrough 57 4.61x
St Cuthbert W O 55 13.68x
Wallsend 55 12.17x
Newburn Hall 54 201.04x
Witton Cum Twambrooks 54 28.69x
Camberwell 52 0.85x
Lambeth 52 0.62x
Elvet 51 24.79x
Tanfield 50 14.75x
Golborne 46 31.05x
Haswell 46 22.52x
Crook Billy Row 45 12.33x
Haltwhistle 44 63.62x
Collierley 42 33.08x
Lynesack Softley 41 53.25x
Monkwearmouth 40 14.66x
Stockton On Tees 40 2.91x
Toxteth Park 40 1.04x
Brampton 38 33.61x
Leeds 38 0.71x
Plumstead 38 3.49x
Wigan 38 2.39x
Birkenhead 37 2.20x
Brandon Byshottles 37 10.36x
Birmingham 36 0.45x
Burslem 35 3.78x
East Murton 35 65.60x
Jesmond 35 17.45x
Bedlington 34 7.14x
Bewcastle 34 116.64x
Congleton 34 9.31x
Corbridge 34 65.13x
Houghton Le Spring 34 17.26x
Seghill 34 48.65x
Wymondham 34 22.57x
Dawdon 33 9.41x
Hackney London 33 0.61x
Mile End Old Town London 33 1.62x
Ryton 33 32.95x
Ecclesall Bierlow 32 1.66x
Esh 32 15.43x
Penshaw 32 37.37x
St Marylebone London 32 0.63x
Frodsham 30 36.63x
Newburn 30 73.66x
Chirton 29 8.99x
Ince In Makerfield 29 5.48x
Newington 29 0.82x
Normanby In 29 11.43x
Sandbach 29 16.08x
Southwick 29 10.74x
Whitworth 29 13.90x
Haydon 28 35.93x
King Moor 28 178.23x
Lamesley 28 18.25x
Salford 28 0.84x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 764
Elizabeth 473
Jane 326
Sarah 283
Margaret 279
Ann 206
Isabella 154
Hannah 145
Annie 127
Alice 112
Ellen 105
Emma 91
Emily 80
Eliza 69
Martha 69
Catherine 63
Frances 48
Dorothy 45
Ada 43
Edith 43
Harriet 37
Florence 36
Caroline 34
Anne 33
Eleanor 33
Fanny 32
Agnes 31
Charlotte 31
Louisa 29
Maria 28
Clara 27
Margt. 27
Elizth. 24
Kate 22
Lucy 22
Susan 22
Barbara 21
Jessie 20
Rachel 20
Harriett 19
Lydia 19
Amelia 16
Esther 15
Minnie 15
Rebecca 15
Ethel 14
Grace 14
Beatrice 13
Eliz. 13
Susannah 13

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 730
William 637
Thomas 463
George 336
James 303
Robert 265
Joseph 239
Henry 121
Charles 118
Edward 109
Richard 66
Frederick 65
Samuel 65
Arthur 61
Matthew 45
Alfred 43
Walter 43
Ralph 36
Harry 35
Thos. 32
Francis 31
Wm. 30
Albert 27
Frank 27
David 25
Christopher 23
Ernest 22
Andrew 19
Anthony 19
Herbert 17
Jonathan 16
Peter 15
Isaac 14
Stephen 14
Edwin 13
Fred 12
Geo. 12
Nicholas 12
Willm. 12
Benjamin 11
Hugh 11
Jno. 11
Percy 11
Robt. 11
Jas. 9
Fredk. 8
Fredrick 8
Harold 8
Luke 8
Martin 8

FAQ

Forster surname: questions and answers

How common was the Forster surname in 1881?

In 1881, 9,799 people were recorded with the Forster surname. That placed it at #436 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Forster surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 12,179 in 2016. That gives Forster a modern rank of #538.

What does the Forster surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a forest keeper, ranger, or woodsman managing and protecting the forest.

What does the Forster map show?

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