Forster Family History

Forster Surname Meaning

English: shortened form of Forrester an occupational name for someone who worked in a forest.

English: possibly a Norman French nickname or occupational name from Old French forcetier ‘maker of scissors or shears cutler’. Compare Force and Forse.

German (mainly Förster): agent derivative of Middle High German forst ‘forest’ denoting someone who lived in or near a royal forest or who worked in one (see Forst).

This surname is also found in France (Alsace and Lorraine). Compare Foerster.

Jewish (Ashkenazic): artificial name from German Forst ‘forest’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

Similar surnames: Porter, Oster, Forestier, Foster, Forst, Fenster, Doster, Forsey, Horter, Sorter

443K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
47K	Military Records
110K	Immigration Records
210K	Census and Voter Lists
673K	Member Trees

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Forster family from?

You can see how Forster families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Forster family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Forster families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 2,719 Forster families living in Durham. This was about 28% of all the recorded Forster's in United Kingdom. Durham had the highest population of Forster families in 1891.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Forster surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Forster

What did your Forster ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General labourer and Unpaid domestic duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Forster. 9% of Forster men worked as a General labourer and 71% of Forster women worked as an Unpaid domestic duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Forster were Builders labourer and Unpaid household duties.

View Census Data for Forster

Data not to scale

We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

General labourer

Bricklayer

Farmer

Builders labourer

Unpaid domestic duties

71%

Private means

Unpaid domestic

Unpaid household duties

What Forster family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 210K census records available for the last name Forster. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Forster census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Forster

Passenger List

There are 110K immigration records available for the last name Forster. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Forster immigration records

Military Records

There are 47K military records available for the last name Forster. For the veterans among your Forster ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Forster military records

You've only scratched the surface of Forster family history

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What is the average Forster lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Forster life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1950, and highest in 1994. The average life expectancy for Forster in 1945 was 63, and 77 in 2004.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Forster family tree

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Forster Surname Meaning

English: shortened form of Forrester an occupational name for someone who worked in a forest.

English: possibly a Norman French nickname or occupational name from Old French forcetier ‘maker of scissors or shears cutler’. Compare Force and Forse.

German (mainly Förster): agent derivative of Middle High German forst ‘forest’ denoting someone who lived in or near a royal forest or who worked in one (see Forst).

This surname is also found in France (Alsace and Lorraine). Compare Foerster.

Jewish (Ashkenazic): artificial name from German Forst ‘forest’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

Where is the Forster family from?

What did your Forster ancestors do for a living?

Data not to scale

We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

General labourer

Bricklayer

Farmer

Builders labourer

Unpaid domestic duties

71%

Private means

Unpaid domestic

Unpaid household duties

What Forster family records will you find?

What is the average Forster lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Forster life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1950, and highest in 1994. The average life expectancy for Forster in 1945 was 63, and 77 in 2004.

Forster Family History

Forster Surname Meaning

1 million record(s) for Forster

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Forster family from?

What did your Forster ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1939

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Forster family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Forster family history

What is the average Forster lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Forster family tree

Search for another surname

Forster Surname Meaning

1 million record(s) for Forster

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Forster family from?

What did your Forster ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1939

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Forster family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Forster family history

What is the average Forster lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Forster family tree

Search for another surname