Explore the Family Name Forster
The meaning of Forster
1. English: shortened form of Forrester, an occupational name for someone who worked in a forest. 2. English: possibly a Norman French nickname or occupational name from Old French forcetier ‘maker of scissors or shears, cutler’. Compare Force and Forse. 3. German (mainly Förster): agent derivative of Middle High German forst ‘forest’, denoting someone who lived in or near a royal forest, or who worked in one (see Forst). This surname is also found in France (Alsace and Lorraine). Compare Foerster. 4. Jewish (Ashkenazic): artificial name from German Forst ‘forest’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Forster in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Forster has seen a slight shift over a decade from 2000 to 2010. In terms of ranking, the Forster name fell from being the 3,615th most popular surname in 2000 to 3,895th in 2010, marking a decrease of 7.75%. However, the count of individuals bearing this surname witnessed a marginal increase of 0.92%, growing from 9,033 in 2000 to 9,116 in 2010. Correspondingly, the proportion of individuals named Forster per 100,000 people decreased by 7.76% during the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,615 | #3,895 | -7.75% |
| Count | 9,033 | 9,116 | 0.92% |
| Proportion per 100k | 3.35 | 3.09 | -7.76% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Forster
The ethnic identity associated with the Forster surname also experienced changes between 2000 and 2010, as per the Decennial U.S. Census data. The percentage of Forsters identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander saw an increase of 48.39%, reaching 0.92% in 2010 from 0.62% in 2000. Those reporting two or more races also grew from 1.01% to 1.49%, up by 47.52%. However, the largest ethnic group, those identifying as White, decreased marginally by 1.63% to constitute 91.05% in 2010. Similarly, the Black category noted a drop of 13.33%. The Hispanic ethnicity, though a smaller category, had more than doubled to 2.45% from 1.21%, while the American Indian and Alaskan Native category showed a modest increase of 9.76%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 92.56% | 91.05% | -1.63% |
| Black | 4.2% | 3.64% | -13.33% |
| Hispanic | 1.21% | 2.45% | 102.48% |
| Two or More Races | 1.01% | 1.49% | 47.52% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.62% | 0.92% | 48.39% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.41% | 0.45% | 9.76% |
Forster 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 Forster is British & Irish, which comprises 44.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (27.9%) and Eastern European (6.2%). Additional ancestries include Ashkenazi Jewish, Italian, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 44.8% |
| French & German | 27.9% |
| Eastern European | 6.2% |
| Other | 21.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Forster
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 Forster have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 74.90% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 74.90% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 74.90% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 74.90% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 74.00% |
What Forster 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 Forster is J-M67, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup J-M67 is descended from haplogroup J-M304. Other common haplogroups include R-P311 and I-Z60, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Miller, Scott, Walter, Schmitt, Weber, Schmidt, Smith, Wilkinson, Hoffman, Fischer.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Forster surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins J-M304Your 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 Forster 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.
"Forster" Surname 41.7%
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.
"Forster" Surname 30.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Forster" Surname 20.0%
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.
"Forster" Surname 16.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Forster?
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 Forster are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition