Explore the Family Name Forest
The meaning of Forest
1. French: topographic name for someone who lived in or near a royal forest, or a metonymic occupational name for a keeper or worker in one, from Old French forest ‘forest’; or a habitational name from (La) Forest, the name of several places in various parts of France. Unlike modern French forêt, forest was not simply a word for extensive woodland, but referred specifically to large wooded areas reserved by law for the king and his nobles to hunt in (see also English Forrest). Compare Deforest and Laforest. 2. English and Scottish: variant of Forrest, a cognate of 1 above. History: This surname (see 1 above) is listed in the (US) National Huguenot Society’s register of qualified Huguenot ancestors (along with the variant Forêt) and also in the similar register of the Huguenot Society of America. Some characteristic forenames: French Andre, Pascal, Amie, Armand, Bertice, Etienne, Fernand, Germaine, Jacques, Normand, Sylvain.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Forest in the United States?
The popularity of the surname "Forest" in the U.S. has seen slight fluctuations according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, Forest ranked 6270 in popularity but dropped to 6661 by 2010, indicating a decrease of approximately 6.24%. However, the count of people with this surname marginally increased from 5006 in 2000 to 5076 in 2010, an increase of 1.4%. The proportion per 100,000 also saw a drop of 7.53%, going down from 1.86 in 2000 to 1.72 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,270 | #6,661 | -6.24% |
| Count | 5,006 | 5,076 | 1.4% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.86 | 1.72 | -7.53% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Forest
When it comes to the ethnic identity associated with the surname Forest, there is some diversity based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census. It shows that a majority of people with the surname identify as White, although this percentage decreased slightly from 69.10% in 2000 to 65.76% in 2010. Those identifying as Black make up the second largest group, increasing from 26.69% in 2000 to 28.23% in 2010. The data also reveals a significant increase in those identifying as Hispanic, jumping from 1.56% in 2000 to 2.70% in 2010. The count of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and individuals claiming two or more races also rose, while those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native declined.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 69.1% | 65.76% | -4.83% |
| Black | 26.69% | 28.23% | 5.77% |
| Hispanic | 1.56% | 2.7% | 73.08% |
| Two or More Races | 1.48% | 2.11% | 42.57% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.74% | 0.93% | 25.68% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.44% | 0.28% | -36.36% |
Forest ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Forest is British & Irish, which comprises 38.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (28.9%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (6.5%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, Scandinavian, and Nigerian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 38.1% |
| French & German | 28.9% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 6.5% |
| Other | 26.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Forest
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Forest have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 66.20% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 66.20% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 66.20% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 66.20% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 65.40% |
What Forest haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Forest is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-Z209 and R-L48, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Clemens, Vickers, Burk, Bernard, Ambrose, Austin, Grey, Winter, Manuel, Morgan.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Forest surname are: H1, N, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Forest have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Forest" Surname 38.1%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Forest" Surname 23.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Forest" Surname 18.2%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Forest" Surname 19.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Forest?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Forest are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition