Forbes Family History

Forbes Surname Meaning

Scottish: habitational name from Forbes in Tullynessle Aberdeenshire so named from Gaelic forba ‘field district’ + the locative suffix -ais. The placename is pronounced in two syllables with the stress on the second and the surname until recently reflected this.

Today however it is generally a monosyllable. Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Firbhisigh ‘son of Fearbhisigh’ a personal name composed of elements meaning ‘man’ + ‘prosperity’.

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

Similar surnames: Fornes, Forbus, Forbess, Torres, Forbis, Forren, Forrest, Gorges, Forcey, Forge

402K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
51K	Military Records
78K	Immigration Records
332K	Census and Voter Lists
1M	Member Trees

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

Where is the Forbes family from?

You can see how Forbes families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Forbes family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Forbes families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 578 Forbes families living in London. This was about 23% of all the recorded Forbes's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Forbes families in 1891.

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

View Census Data for Forbes

What did your Forbes 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 Forbes. 11% of Forbes men worked as a General labourer and 64% of Forbes women worked as an Unpaid domestic duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Forbes were Carpenter joiner and Unpaid domestic.

View Census Data for Forbes

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

11%

Builders labourer

Motor engineer

Carpenter joiner

Unpaid domestic duties

64%

Private means

Housewife

Unpaid domestic

What Forbes family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 332K census records available for the last name Forbes. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Forbes census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Forbes

Passenger List

There are 78K immigration records available for the last name Forbes. 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 Forbes immigration records

Military Records

There are 51K military records available for the last name Forbes. For the veterans among your Forbes ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Forbes military records

You've only scratched the surface of Forbes family history

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What is the average Forbes lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Forbes life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 1996. The average life expectancy for Forbes in 1942 was 49, and 73 in 2004.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Forbes family tree

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Forbes Surname Meaning

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

Where is the Forbes family from?

What did your Forbes 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

11%

Builders labourer

Motor engineer

Carpenter joiner

Unpaid domestic duties

64%

Private means

Housewife

Unpaid domestic

What Forbes family records will you find?

What is the average Forbes lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Forbes life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 1996. The average life expectancy for Forbes in 1942 was 49, and 73 in 2004.

Forbes Family History

Forbes Surname Meaning

1 million record(s) for Forbes

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

Where is the Forbes family from?

What did your Forbes ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1939

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Forbes family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Forbes family history

What is the average Forbes lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Forbes family tree

Search for another surname

Forbes Surname Meaning

1 million record(s) for Forbes

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

Where is the Forbes family from?

What did your Forbes ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1939

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Forbes family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Forbes family history

What is the average Forbes lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Forbes family tree

Search for another surname