Explore the Family Name Forton
The meaning of Forton
1. English: habitational name from any of the places in Hampshire, Lancashire, Shropshire, and Staffordshire named Forton, from Old English ford ‘ford’ + tūn ‘settlement, enclosure’. 2. English and Scottish: variant of Fortune. 3. French: from a pet form of the personal name Fort 2, or a diminutive of the nickname Fort 1 ‘strong, brave’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Forton in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Forton decreased in popularity between 2000 and 2010. Ranked at 29,447 in 2000, it dropped to 32,302 in the 2010 census, a decrease of 9.7%. The overall count of individuals with the Forton surname also diminished during this period, from 756 in 2000 to 713 in 2010, representing a 5.69% decrease. Furthermore, its proportion per 100,000 people fell by 14.29%, moving from 0.28 to 0.24.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #29,447 | #32,302 | -9.7% |
| Count | 756 | 713 | -5.69% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.28 | 0.24 | -14.29% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Forton
The ethnicity of those bearing the surname Forton witnessed some shifts from 2000 to 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. The percentage of Fortons identifying as White remained relatively stable, increasing marginally from 93.39% to 93.55%. There was a notable increase in individuals identifying as Hispanic, rising from 1.59% in 2000 to 3.09% in 2010, a significant 94.34% jump. However, there was a decrease in the Black demographic, from 2.12% to 1.4%, a drop of 33.96%. Interestingly, in 2010, we saw for the first time a small percentage (0.98%) of Fortons identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, whereas the representation of people identifying as two or more races dropped from 1.85% in 2000 to zero in 2010. The American Indian and Alaskan Native category remained constant at zero throughout this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 93.39% | 93.55% | 0.17% |
| Hispanic | 1.59% | 3.09% | 94.34% |
| Black | 2.12% | 1.4% | -33.96% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.98% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 1.85% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |