NameCensus.

UK surname

Forsyth

A Scottish locational surname derived from lands near the Forth river or from a Gaelic personal name.

In the 1881 census there were 6,415 people recorded with the Forsyth surname, ranking it #664 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 8,821, ranked #742, down from #664 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to New Monkland, Govan Combination and Elgin. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Huntly, Northumberland and Machars South.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Forsyth is 8,881 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 37.5%.

1881 census count

6,415

Ranked #664

Modern count

8,821

2016, ranked #742

Peak year

2010

8,881 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Forsyth had 6,415 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #664 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 8,821 in 2016, ranked #742.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 7,796 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Forsyth surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Forsyth surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Forsyth 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 4,257 #667
1861 historical 4,514 #628
1881 historical 6,415 #664
1891 historical 6,801 #670
1901 historical 7,796 #689
1911 historical 2,583 #1,979
1997 modern 8,240 #773
1998 modern 8,522 #776
1999 modern 8,604 #773
2000 modern 8,692 #764
2001 modern 8,454 #766
2002 modern 8,566 #771
2003 modern 8,386 #771
2004 modern 8,398 #766
2005 modern 8,475 #750
2006 modern 8,419 #756
2007 modern 8,452 #761
2008 modern 8,553 #754
2009 modern 8,723 #758
2010 modern 8,881 #763
2011 modern 8,740 #761
2012 modern 8,557 #763
2013 modern 8,688 #768
2014 modern 8,843 #754
2015 modern 8,822 #746
2016 modern 8,821 #742

Geography

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Where Forsyths are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around New Monkland, Govan Combination, Elgin, Edinburgh and St. Ninians. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Huntly, Northumberland, Machars South, Dunipace and South Speyside and the Cabrach. 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 New Monkland Lanark
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Elgin Elgin
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 St. Ninians Stirling

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Huntly Aberdeenshire
2 Northumberland 006 Northumberland
3 Machars South Dumfries and Galloway
4 Dunipace Falkirk
5 South Speyside and the Cabrach Moray

Forenames

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First names often paired with Forsyth

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Forsyth

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Forsyth, 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 Forsyth surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Forsyth 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, Forsyth 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

Forsyth 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

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

Meaning and origin of Forsyth

The surname Forsyth originated in Scotland, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "fors" meaning a waterfall or stream, and "syth" meaning a small valley or path. This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a stream or waterfall in a small valley.

The Forsyth name is closely associated with the Scottish Borders region, particularly in areas such as Roxburghshire and Berwickshire. Early spellings of the name included variants like Forsith, Forsythe, and Forsytt. One of the earliest recorded instances is in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists a John de Forsyth as swearing fealty to King Edward I of England.

In the 14th century, a branch of the Forsyth family is recorded as holding lands in the parish of Cavers, Roxburghshire. This is evidenced by charters and other historical records from the time. A notable figure from this lineage was Robert de Forsyth, who served as a Scottish ambassador to England in the late 14th century.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Forsyths were closely associated with the town of Jedburgh in Roxburghshire. Several members of the family held prominent positions in the local community, including William Forsyth (1537-1599), who served as the Provost of Jedburgh.

One of the most famous individuals with the Forsyth surname was William Forsyth (1737-1804), a Scottish botanist and horticulturist who served as the Chief Superintendent of the Royal Gardens at Kensington Palace and St. James's Palace in London. He made significant contributions to the study of plant diseases and introduced several new techniques in horticulture.

Another notable Forsyth was James Forsyth (1766-1835), a Scottish missionary who played a pivotal role in the establishment of Christian missions in India. He was one of the first Protestant missionaries to work in the region and founded several educational institutions.

In the literary world, William Forsyth (1818-1879) was a Scottish writer and journalist who served as the editor of the Glasgow Constitutional and the Glasgow Herald. He was also a prolific author, publishing works on history and literature.

The Forsyth name has also been associated with the military, with individuals like James Forsyth (1789-1853), a British Army officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and the First Anglo-Burmese War, and Charles Forsyth (1819-1897), a British Army officer and administrator in India.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Forsyth families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Forsyth 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. Lanarkshire leads with 1,229 Forsyths recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.10x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 1,229 6.10x
Midlothian 444 5.32x
Lancashire 410 0.55x
Morayshire 367 37.90x
Aberdeenshire 356 6.17x
Stirlingshire 340 14.79x
Northumberland 247 2.66x
Middlesex 245 0.39x
Renfrewshire 235 4.87x
Durham 203 1.09x
Fife 178 4.82x
Angus 164 2.84x
Cumberland 144 2.68x
Dunbartonshire 140 8.36x
Ayrshire 121 2.59x
Perthshire 113 4.04x
Banffshire 109 8.43x
Clackmannanshire 96 18.65x
Inverness-shire 92 4.94x
Cheshire 82 0.60x
Dumfriesshire 80 5.81x
Ross-shire 78 4.56x
Selkirkshire 69 12.24x
Yorkshire 69 0.11x
West Lothian 67 7.14x
Berwickshire 62 8.21x
Wigtownshire 56 6.77x
Roxburghshire 46 4.07x
Surrey 45 0.15x
East Lothian 44 5.33x
Kincardineshire 35 4.61x
Kirkcudbrightshire 35 3.88x
Kent 34 0.16x
Hampshire 28 0.22x
Staffordshire 27 0.13x
Argyllshire 26 1.50x
Peeblesshire 23 7.85x
Westmorland 22 1.61x
Caithness 18 2.11x
Warwickshire 18 0.11x
Worcestershire 18 0.22x
Dorset 15 0.37x
Northamptonshire 15 0.26x
Wiltshire 14 0.25x
Sutherland 13 2.71x
Derbyshire 10 0.10x
Nairnshire 10 5.26x
Isle of Man 9 0.78x
Royal Navy 9 1.21x
Berkshire 8 0.17x
Gloucestershire 8 0.07x
Sussex 8 0.08x
Buteshire 7 1.85x
Nottinghamshire 7 0.08x
Anglesey 6 0.54x
Denbighshire 6 0.25x
Essex 6 0.05x
Flintshire 3 0.18x
Somerset 3 0.03x
Suffolk 3 0.04x
Channel Islands 2 0.11x
Devon 2 0.02x
Glamorgan 2 0.02x
Hertfordshire 2 0.05x
Cornwall 1 0.01x
Kinross-shire 1 0.63x
Lincolnshire 1 0.01x
Oxfordshire 1 0.03x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 282 Forsyths recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.53x.

Place Total Index
Barony 282 5.53x
Govan 252 5.06x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 219 6.52x
Glasgow 198 5.53x
St Ninians 116 50.91x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 89 8.24x
Elgin 87 46.18x
New Monkland 87 14.60x
Clackmannan 76 78.13x
Old Monkland 72 9.00x
Bothwell 66 12.07x
Inverness 57 12.18x
Dundee 55 2.55x
Dunipace 54 134.19x
Paisley High Church 52 13.52x
Hamilton 51 9.07x
Abbey 50 6.78x
Drainie 50 58.29x
Rathven 50 20.59x
Forres 46 45.20x
Kirkintilloch 46 20.22x
Duffus 44 51.56x
Rutherglen 44 14.88x
Aberdeen Old Machar 43 3.57x
Whitburn 43 31.71x
Melrose 40 28.19x
Islington London 38 0.63x
Manchester 38 1.14x
Forfar 37 11.83x
Liverpool 37 0.82x
Forgue 34 65.59x
Hackney London 32 0.92x
Clerkenwell London 31 2.11x
Row 31 14.31x
Bishopwearmouth 30 1.89x
Denny 30 24.54x
Dysart 30 12.07x
Auckinleck 29 20.08x
Everton 29 1.23x
Heworth 29 7.94x
Muiravonside 29 49.67x
Westoe 29 2.76x
Dunfermline 28 4.94x
Birkenhead 27 2.46x
Dalton In Furness 27 9.46x
Gateshead 27 1.94x
North Leith 27 6.99x
Toxteth Park 27 1.08x
Urquhart 27 59.00x
West Calder 27 16.41x
Liscard 26 10.49x
Stirling 26 8.97x
Dalziel 25 11.53x
Liff Benvie 25 2.85x
St Andrews Lhanbryd 25 83.58x
West Greenock 25 2.88x
Eastwood 24 8.07x
Markinch 24 19.16x
Paisley Low Church 24 15.70x
Shotts 24 9.95x
South Leith 24 2.55x
Eyemouth 23 36.52x
Galashiels 22 10.55x
Kilsyth 22 15.01x
Keith 21 15.24x
Muirkirk 21 19.17x
Tweedmouth 21 18.16x
Annan 20 16.91x
Cambusnethan 20 4.47x
Cockpen 20 20.50x
Dallas 20 101.57x
Kirkdale 20 1.61x
Sale 20 11.85x
Caldbeck 19 75.61x
Kilmorack 19 33.67x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 19 3.43x
Oldham 19 0.80x
Paisley Middle Church 19 6.76x
Penninghame 19 22.51x
Caldewgate 18 6.12x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 127
Elizabeth 89
Margaret 49
Jane 47
Ann 46
Sarah 46
Alice 21
Annie 21
Ellen 21
Isabella 21
Jessie 20
Agnes 17
Eliza 16
Hannah 16
Catherine 13
Fanny 11
Emily 10
Martha 10
Kate 9
Maria 9
Edith 8
Emma 8
Anne 7
Frances 7
Helen 7
Louisa 7
Eleanor 6
Lucy 6
Marion 6
Bertha 5
Caroline 5
Florence 5
Grace 5
Isabel 5
Janet 5
Julia 5
Charlotte 4
Christina 4
Jemima 4
Susannah 4
Ada 3
Catharine 3
Elizth. 3
Esther 3
Georgina 3
Maggie 3
Margret 3
May 3
Rosina 3
Susan 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 126
William 105
James 93
Robert 64
George 57
Thomas 57
Alexander 28
Joseph 26
David 20
Henry 19
Andrew 14
Charles 14
Peter 13
Samuel 13
Edward 10
Rice 9
Thos. 9
Albert 7
Wm. 7
Alfred 6
Francis 6
Walter 6
Archibald 5
Frederick 5
Richard 5
Adam 4
Edwin 4
Harry 4
Hugh 4
Matthew 4
Allan 3
Arthur 3
Douglas 3
Isaac 3
R. 3
Ambrose 2
Edmund 2
Ernest 2
Frank 2
Geo. 2
Herbert 2
Jacob 2
Jno. 2
Laurence 2
Leonard 2
Richd. 2
Chas. 1
Christopher 1
Christr. 1
Wm.R. 1

FAQ

Forsyth surname: questions and answers

How common was the Forsyth surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6,415 people were recorded with the Forsyth surname. That placed it at #664 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Forsyth surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 8,821 in 2016. That gives Forsyth a modern rank of #742.

What does the Forsyth surname mean?

A Scottish locational surname derived from lands near the Forth river or from a Gaelic personal name.

What does the Forsyth map show?

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