The Forrester surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 13,878 people carried this name — #2,596 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 21,300 people counted. That is up 5% from 13,276 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Forrester surname

An occupational or topographic surname originating as an occupation for someone who worked or lived in a forest.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Forrester» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a name of office: ‘the forester’.

An early record he cites: Petrus Forestarius, Buckinghamshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Forrester and Forster.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 296 · public domain.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 79 people named Forrester 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 Buenos Aires Province.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Buenos Aires Province 45
City of Buenos Aires 34

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Forrester was found among the farmers of Staffordshire: 10 in every 10,000.

Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Staffordshire 10

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In Scotland’s registers today

Forrester was recorded 46 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 565th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 92. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In print

Forrester in American newspapers,
1898–1920.

Newspaper page from The True Democrat carrying the name Forrester
The True Democrat 1898-01-15
Newspaper page from The New South carrying the name Forrester
The New South 1898-01-15
Newspaper page from Omaha Daily Bee carrying the name Forrester
Omaha Daily Bee 1920-07-23

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 2,502 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Forrester in Australian newspapers,
1820s–1990s.

44,606 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Forrester. The most, 10,971, date from the 1890s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Western Australia, at 1.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 16,499
Victoria 10,680
South Australia 6,281
Western Australia 4,847
Queensland 4,789
Tasmania 1,331
ACT (Canberra) 124
Northern Territory 16

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Forrester.

Who carried it

People named Forrester,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Adam Forrester d. 1405 · diplomat
  • John Forrester d. 1449
  • Helen Forrester d. 1678
  • Harriot Forrester d. 1786
  • Charlotte Rowe d. 1743
  • Matilda Amelia Henrietta Fielding d. 1968

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Forrester,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,264 records

1,264 records of the Forrester name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 438
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 273
  • Other U.S. records 553
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record John T. Forrester

    Born 1907 in Tennessee. Enlisted 1942 at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia; construction laborer. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1972, buried at Chattanooga National Cemetery, Tennessee.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mary Forrester

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the City of Rome from Liverpool, aged 23; servant. From Derby, England.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Ronald Wayne Forrester

    Born 1947; from Odessa, Texas. U.S. Marine Corps, qualified a-6e bombardier/navigator; declared dead 1972 in North Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 1,264 records for Forrester in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia803 records

803 records of the Forrester name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 466
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 156
  • Other Australian records 181
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Joseph Forrester

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Thames, sailing from London in 1829. Native of Perth, Perthshire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1840. Married 1841 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 28.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Charles Forrester

    Died 1890 in Mersey, Tasmania, aged 36. Will registered in Tasmania in 1891.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Jas R. Forrester

    Arrived in Victoria in 1886 aboard the Loch Vennachar, aged 23; Scottish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 803 records for Forrester in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada149 records

149 records of the Forrester name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 93
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 17
  • Other Canadian records 39
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Stanley Forrester

    Killed in 1967 at the Princess Mine, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Wm Forrester

    Came to Ontario in 1879 aboard the Moravian, landing at Halifax, bound for Hamilton, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record George Raymond Forrester

    Buried in 1996 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 95.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.

Showing 3 of 149 records for Forrester in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

United Kingdom109 records

109 records of the Forrester name in the United Kingdom
  • Stirling Council burial records 59
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 42
  • Other British records 8
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Catherine Forrester

    Buried in 1968 at Thornhill Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 74.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record George Follett Forrester

    Will proved in 1933; of Llandudno, Carnarvon.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record James David Forrester

    Died 1916. Named in the University of Edinburgh roll of honour, 1914-1919.

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)

Showing 3 of 109 records for Forrester in the United Kingdom.

Counts: Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand67 records

67 records of the Forrester name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 61
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 5
  • Waimakariri District cemetery records, Canterbury 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Ena Maude Forrester

    Buried in 1983 at Totara Memorial Park Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 76.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Euphemia Forrester

    Died 1936, aged 54; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Morris Andrew Forrester

    Born 1928, died 1994; buried at Rangiora Lawn Cemetery, Canterbury.

    Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 67 records for Forrester in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Netherlands9 records

9 records of the Forrester name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 5
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 3
  • Dutch population registers 1
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Stuart Forrester

    Died 1945 in Vlissingen; engine driver.

    Open Archives, Zeeuws Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Andries Forrester

    Married in 1704 in Rotterdam; born in Edenburg.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Frederick Forrester

    Married in 1948 in Geldrop.

    Open Archives, Brabants Historisch Informatie Centrum (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 9 records for Forrester in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

France1 record

1 record of the Forrester name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Kenneth Norman Forrester

    Born 1922 in Great Britain; died 1998 in Pau (Pyrénées-Atlantiques).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Forrester.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Forrester 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.

See the Forrester volume
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