Explore the Family Name Forte
The meaning of Forte
1. Italian: from the personal name Forte, from Late Latin fortis ‘strong, brave’ (see Fort 2) or from a short form of a medieval personal name formed with this element, as for example Fortebraccio (‘strong arm’). 2. Italian: nickname from forte ‘strong’. Compare Lo Forte. 3. Portuguese, Galician, and Spanish: cognate of 1 and 2 above and of Spanish Fuerte. Compare Fortes. 4. English: variant of Fort. 5. Slovenian: from a short form of the personal name Fortunat, Latin Fortunatus (see Fortunato). Some characteristic forenames: Italian Angelo, Antonio, Carmine, Rocco, Guido, Salvatore, Aldo, Gaetano, Pasquale, Carlo, Matteo, Annamaria.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Forte in the United States?
The surname "Forte" saw some minor fluctuations in popularity between 2000 and 2010, according to Decennial U.S. Census data. In comparison to other surnames, it ranked 2,891st in 2000 and fell slightly in rank to 2,982nd in 2010, representing a slight decrease of 3.15%. Despite this drop in ranking, the actual number of people with the Forte surname increased from 11,387 to 12,023, marking a growth of 5.59%. The proportion per 100,000 individuals also saw a small decrease over this decade, falling by 3.32%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,891 | #2,982 | -3.15% |
| Count | 11,387 | 12,023 | 5.59% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.22 | 4.08 | -3.32% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Forte
In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some shifts for those carrying the Forte surname between 2000 and 2010. There was a significant increase in the Asian/Pacific Islander category, which went up by 67.35%. The Hispanic group also experienced substantial growth of nearly 30%. The proportion of individuals identifying as two or more races remained fairly steady, with a marginal increase of 0.56%, and so did the Black community, with a 1.02% rise. A slight increase was also observed for the American Indian and Alaskan Native group. On the other hand, the White group's percentage decreased by 3.20%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 65.08% | 63% | -3.2% |
| Black | 27.54% | 27.82% | 1.02% |
| Hispanic | 4.85% | 6.28% | 29.48% |
| Two or More Races | 1.79% | 1.8% | 0.56% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.49% | 0.82% | 67.35% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.25% | 0.27% | 8% |
Forte 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 Forte is Italian, which comprises 31.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (27.5%) and French & German (11.0%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Nigerian, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Italian | 31.6% |
| British & Irish | 27.5% |
| French & German | 11.0% |
| Other | 29.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Forte
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 Forte have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Italy.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 54.60% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 54.20% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 53.80% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 53.40% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 53.00% |
What Forte 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 Forte is R-U152, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-U152 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include E-V13 and J-M12, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Boyer, Winkler, Baumgartner, Rossi, Ott, Leone, Stoll, Dietrich, Weber, Ackerman.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Forte surname are: H1, K1a, 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 Forte 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.
"Forte" Surname 32.0%
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.
"Forte" Surname 32.3%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Forte" Surname 25.2%
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.
"Forte" Surname 18.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Forte?
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 Forte are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition