FORREST
The surname Forrest is of English origin, arising in the British Isles and borne by families throughout England. It is a toponymic name, connected directly to the natural landscape, and it has been used for many centuries.
Derivation of the name dates from Middle English; the word forest meant a large wooded area and was borrowed from Old French forest and Late Latin forestis, a word drawn from foris meaning “outside”. In medieval times the term referred specifically to vast tracts of woodland reserved for the hunting pursuits of the monarch and the nobility. Consequently, the name identified either those who lived near or within such royal forests, or those who worked in them.
Evidence for the surname appears as early as the year 1204. The first recorded spelling is that found in the Pipe Rolls of Hampshire, where a Hugh de Foresta is listed during the reign of King John, who ruled from 1199 to 1216. The name persisted throughout the 13th and subsequent centuries, with records such as the Subsidy Rolls of Kent in 1300 mentioning an Adam ate Forest. In Ireland the name reached a wider audience with the christening of William Forrest at St. Michan’s, Dublin, on 4 August 1691.
In more recent times the surname has been documented in civil and ecclesiastical records for couples, for example the 17 September 1963 marriage of Mary Ellen O’ Sullivan and John Forrest at the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Schull, County Cork. Such entries illustrate that the surname has continued to be in use across the Channel for at least eight centuries.
Throughout history, the surname Forrest has conveyed a close association with natural landscapes, reflecting ancestral ties to those who lived and laboured near great woodlands or who held custodial responsibilities within them. The continuity of records from the medieval period to the present confirms the enduring presence of families bearing this name in the wider British and Irish tradition.
Because the surname is rooted in a geographical feature common to medieval England, it remains relatively widespread across the country. Those seeking genealogical information might consult historical documents such as the Pipe Rolls, medieval Subsidy Rolls, and parish registers to trace the lineage of a particular Forrest family.
Typical given names associated with the Forrest surname
Male
- Alan
- Andrew
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Robert
- William
Female
- Anne
- Catherine
- Christine
- Elizabeth
- Helen
- Jean
- Karen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Forest
- Ferrest
- Farrest
- Fairest
- Fariest
- Forres
- Farasat
- Farest
- Farist
- Farsad
- Farsett
- Farside
- Farzad
- Ferrist
- Ferst
- Ferszt
- Feurst
- First
- Firszt
- Forcett
- Foresta
- Foreste
- Foresti
- Foret
- Forist
- Forrcett
- Forreser
- Forress
- Forrestal
- Forrestall
- Forrestell
- Forrester
- Forresters
- Forrestill
- Forrestis
- Forrestor
- Forrestt
- Forret
- Forrett
- Forriest
- Forrist
- Forset
- Forsett
- Forst
- Forste
- Forsyte
- Forzati
- Frast
- Frausto
- Frest
- Fresta
- Frezzato
- Friest
- Frist
- Froast
- Frost
- Froste
- Frostie
- Frust
- Fuerst
- Furst
- Furste
- Verest
- Verriest
- Verroest
- Vorst
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Forrest in...
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Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Forrest are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Bourbon.
There are approximately 14,833 people named Forrest in the UK. That makes it the 597th most common surname in Britain. Around 228 in a million people in Britain are named Forrest.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Forrest
- Emma Forrest - Journalist, novelist and screenwriter
- James Forrest - Scottish football player
- Nathan Bedford Forrest - Confederate Army general (1821 to 1877)
- Alan Forrest - Scottish football player
- George Forrest - Politician (1921 to 1968)
- George Forrest - Scottish botanist (1873 to 1932)
- Grant Forrest - Golfer
- Jim Forrest - Scottish football player
- Danny Forrest - Professional football player
- George Forrest - Wykeham Professor of Ancient History, University of Oxford, ancient historian (1925 to 1997)
- Bill Forrest - Football player (1908 to 1965)
- Gordon Forrest - Scottish football coach and former player
- Jim Forrest - Scottish football player (1927 to 1992)
- Maureen Milgram Forrest - Music producer (1938 to 2013)
- Alex Forrest - Scottish football player
- Jimmy Forrest - Football player (1864 to 1925)
- Alex Forrest - Fencer (1894 to 1948)
- Ernie Forrest - Football player (1919 to 1987)
- John Forrest - Doctor (1804 to 1865)
- Arthur Forrest - Speedway rider (1932 to 2000)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.