NameCensus.

UK surname

Forwood

A locational surname derived from a place called the forewood or forest wood.

In the 1881 census there were 102 people recorded with the Forwood surname, ranking it #19,518 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 203, ranked #19,396, up from #19,518 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Peter, London parishes and Margate. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Waveney, Chichester and Canterbury.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Forwood is 230 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 99.0%.

1881 census count

102

Ranked #19,518

Modern count

203

2016, ranked #19,396

Peak year

1998

230 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Forwood had 102 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,518 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 203 in 2016, ranked #19,396.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 204 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Forwood surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Forwood surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Forwood 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 89 #18,446
1861 historical 107 #20,008
1881 historical 102 #19,518
1891 historical 177 #16,330
1901 historical 204 #14,925
1911 historical 175 #16,246
1997 modern 201 #17,564
1998 modern 230 #16,607
1999 modern 230 #16,685
2000 modern 218 #17,246
2001 modern 216 #17,103
2002 modern 227 #16,877
2003 modern 204 #17,909
2004 modern 201 #18,168
2005 modern 196 #18,404
2006 modern 191 #18,825
2007 modern 199 #18,542
2008 modern 200 #18,640
2009 modern 212 #18,328
2010 modern 207 #19,007
2011 modern 198 #19,410
2012 modern 204 #18,973
2013 modern 206 #19,153
2014 modern 211 #19,002
2015 modern 211 #18,906
2016 modern 203 #19,396

Geography

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Where Forwoods are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Peter, London parishes, Margate, St Lawrence in Thanet and Ramsgate. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Waveney, Chichester, Canterbury, Lincoln and Teignbridge. 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 St Peter Kent
2 London parishes London 3
3 Margate Kent
4 St Lawrence in Thanet Kent
5 Ramsgate Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Waveney 004 Waveney
2 Chichester 002 Chichester
3 Canterbury 005 Canterbury
4 Lincoln 010 Lincoln
5 Teignbridge 017 Teignbridge

Forenames

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First names often paired with Forwood

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Forwood

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Forwood, 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 Forwood surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Forwood 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Forwood is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Forwood 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

Forwood falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Forwood

The surname Forwood is of English origin and can be traced back to the medieval era. It is believed to have originated in the county of Lancashire, where it was derived from a place name referring to a dwelling located near a forest or wooded area.

The name Forwood is thought to be a combination of the Old English words "for," meaning near or by, and "wudu," meaning a wood or forest. This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname likely lived in close proximity to a densely forested region.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Forwood can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire, dated 1176. This historical document lists a Richard de Forewude, indicating the presence of the name in the region during the latter part of the 12th century.

In the 13th century, the Forwood surname appears in the Assize Rolls of Lancashire, where a Robert de Forwod is mentioned in 1246. This variation in spelling, Forwod, highlights the fluidity of surnames during that period and the influence of local dialects on their written form.

Notable individuals bearing the Forwood surname include Sir John Forwood (1558-1632), a prominent English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1611. Another notable figure was Thomas Forwood (1694-1768), an English clergyman and author who wrote several theological works.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Forwood name was particularly concentrated in the Lancashire towns of Leigh and Wigan, where several families of that surname are recorded in parish registers and land records.

In the 18th century, a branch of the Forwood family migrated to the United States, with Thomas Forwood (1712-1788) settling in Virginia. His descendants can be traced through census records and historical documents in various parts of the country.

Other notable individuals with the Forwood surname include William Forwood (1840-1922), a British architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in Manchester, and John Forwood (1820-1892), an English-born Australian politician who served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Forwood families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Forwood 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. Kent leads with 41 Forwoods recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.20x.

County Total Index
Kent 41 12.20x
Lancashire 22 1.88x
Middlesex 15 1.52x
Surrey 8 1.67x
Cheshire 5 2.30x
Derbyshire 3 1.95x
Hertfordshire 3 4.42x
Gloucestershire 1 0.52x
Northamptonshire 1 1.08x
Staffordshire 1 0.30x
Suffolk 1 0.83x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ramsgate in Kent leads with 24 Forwoods recorded in 1881 and an index of 437.16x.

Place Total Index
Ramsgate 24 437.16x
Great Crosby 10 313.48x
Little Woolton 8 2352.94x
Islington London 5 5.24x
Lambeth 5 5.82x
Dunkirk 4 1600.00x
Shoreditch London 4 9.37x
Barnston 3 3333.33x
Canterbury St Mary 3 132.74x
Cheshunt 3 126.58x
Ealing 3 34.09x
Heage 3 365.85x
North Meols 3 26.22x
St Lawrence 3 129.87x
Camberwell 2 3.18x
Chislehurst 2 111.11x
Clerkenwell London 2 8.60x
Margate St John Baptist 2 32.52x
Minster In Thanet 2 285.71x
Poulton Cum Spital 2 1538.46x
Burton Upon Trent 1 12.85x
Carshalton 1 54.35x
Charlton 1 44.84x
Hendon 1 28.25x
Liverpool 1 1.41x
Lowestoft 1 17.64x
Towcester 1 104.17x
Westbury On Trym 1 15.27x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 9
John 7
George 6
Henry 4
Thomas 4
Arthur 2
Charles 2
Edward 2
Ernest 2
Richard 2
Bernard 1
Cecil 1
Chas. 1
Dudley 1
Elijah 1
Francis 1
Frederick 1
Geo.J. 1
Harry 1
James 1
Percy 1
Spencer 1
Sydney 1
Talbot 1
Wellington 1

FAQ

Forwood surname: questions and answers

How common was the Forwood surname in 1881?

In 1881, 102 people were recorded with the Forwood surname. That placed it at #19,518 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Forwood surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 203 in 2016. That gives Forwood a modern rank of #19,396.

What does the Forwood surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place called the forewood or forest wood.

What does the Forwood map show?

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