The Foerster surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 2,792 people carried this name — #11,312 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 105,300 people counted. That is up 2% from 2,748 in 2000.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 140 people named Foerster.
11 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 22 départements, most often Haut-Rhin.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Poland’s population register
72 people named Foerster have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 106 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 6 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Greater Poland.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
48 people named Foerster live in Switzerland.
They live in 8 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Bern.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In Belgium’s population register
At least 33 people named Foerster live in Belgium.
Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Liège.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 30 people named Foerster live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Misiones.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In the Nordic population registers
27 people named Foerster is counted in Sweden.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.
Counted, by country
Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).
In print
Foerster in American newspapers,
1883–1917.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 6,311 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Foerster,
with a public archive behind them.
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Sigismund August Foerster d. 1825 · entrepreneur
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Jeremias Sigismund Foerster d. 1819 · entrepreneur
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Valentin Foerster d. 1637 · notary
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Kaspar Foerster 1571–1631
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Karl Foerster 1609–1676 · mayor
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Philipp Friedrich Foerster 1615–1618
Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Foerster.
- Fluhr 552 · U.S. census
- Flury 1,124 · U.S. census
- Fobert 232 · U.S. census
- Fodor 2,112 · U.S. census
- Foell 564 · U.S. census
- Foeller 270 · U.S. census
- Fofana 1,806 · U.S. census
- Fogel 4,973 · U.S. census
- Foglia 1,079 · U.S. census
- Fohr 232 · U.S. census
- Foisy 943 · U.S. census
- Foix 168 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Foerster is.
A volume says what happened to it.
Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.