Forest
Forest is a boy's name of English origin.
Meaning
Woods, forest, or forest keeper.
Origin and history
Forest is an English name derived from an occupational surname for a keeper or worker in a forest, or a topographic name for someone living near woodland. It gained steady usage in the United States throughout the 19th and 20th centuries as a nature-inspired masculine name. In recent years, it has enjoyed a modest resurgence alongside other popular botanical and outdoorsy names.
Popularity in the United States
17,784 babies in the United States have been named Forest since 1880. It ranks #881 all-time. Among babies born since 2020 it ranks #711.
States where it is most popular
- CA (12.3 %)
- OH (11 %)
- TX (7.9 %)
- KY (6.1 %)
- NC (5.4 %)
Trends by decade
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880-1890 | 298 |
| 1890-1900 | 470 |
| 1900-1910 | 541 |
| 1910-1920 | 2,125 |
| 1920-1930 | 2,562 |
| 1930-1940 | 1,493 |
| 1940-1950 | 1,276 |
| 1950-1960 | 1,037 |
| 1960-1970 | 779 |
| 1970-1980 | 758 |
| 1980-1990 | 787 |
| 1990-2000 | 1,467 |
| 2000-2010 | 657 |
| 2010-2019 | 1,448 |
| 2020-2029 | 2,086 |
Famous people named Forest
- Forest Whitaker: Actor, Filmmaker
Fun facts
- Originally derived from the Old French word 'forest', describing land set aside for hunting or filled with trees.
- While historically used as a traditional given name, Forest has seen renewed interest as part of the modern preference for modern nature names.