Is Forrest a boy, girl, or unisex name?

Forrest is commonly used as a Boy name.

How popular is Forrest?

It’s currently ranked #373 in the U.S. Recent trend: Rising.

How do you pronounce Forrest?

FOR-est · IPA: //ˈfɔːr.ɪst//

Forrest Boy

Popularity: #373 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Origin(s)

PronunciationFOR-est / /ˈfɔːr.ɪst/

English; Old French

Meaning

English: of the forest; Old French: dweller by the woods

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Forrest is derived from the Old French word 'forest', which refers to a wooded area. It became popular in English-speaking countries, particularly in the 19th century. The name is often associated with nature and the outdoors. It gained additional popularity due to cultural references in literature and film.

Trend Summary

The name Forrest has seen fluctuating popularity in the United States, with a notable increase in usage during the 1990s.

Variants

Forrest
Forrester

International Variants

Forêt (French)
Foresta (Italian)

Famous people named Forrest

Forrest Whitaker is an American actor and filmmaker known for his roles in films such as 'The Last King of Scotland'.

Forrest Gump is a fictional character from the novel by Winston Groom, later adapted into a successful film starring Tom Hanks.

Fictional characters named Forrest

Forrest Gump is the main character in the film 'Forrest Gump', known for his extraordinary life experiences.

Forrest the Bear is a character in the children's book series 'Forrest the Bear', which teaches lessons about friendship.

Sibling Suggestions

Fletcher Fergus Finn Felix Freya Fiona

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Forrest was first seen in the United States in 1880. Forrest has ranked as high as #410 nationally, which occurred in 1994, and has been most popular in California, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, and Pennsylvania. In the past 5 years the name Forrest has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

Top States for Forrest (2024)

Year:

State	Births	Share
CA	70	10%
TX	63	9%
FL	40	5%
TN	34	5%
NC	31	4%
PA	30	4%
GA	29	4%
MI	27	4%
OH	27	4%
IN	24	3%
WA	23	3%
AZ	23	3%
MO	22	3%
WI	22	3%
VA	21	3%

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

Year	Births
1880	36
1881	28
1882	38
1883	25
1884	36
1885	36
1886	56
1887	34
1888	62
1889	65
1890	56
1891	59
1892	52
1893	74
1894	53
1895	88
1896	87
1897	81
1898	80
1899	83
1900	66
1901	73
1902	91
1903	76
1904	89
1905	75
1906	85
1907	115
1908	105
1909	125
1910	103
1911	152
1912	308
1913	395
1914	501
1915	643
1916	652
1917	663
1918	757
1919	686
1920	792
1921	781
1922	772
1923	758
1924	695
1925	648
1926	680
1927	610
1928	572
1929	602
1930	532
1931	473
1932	498
1933	454
1934	412
1935	422
1936	393
1937	420
1938	403
1939	414
1940	407
1941	426
1942	412
1943	450
1944	466
1945	441
1946	493
1947	513
1948	432
1949	459
1950	458
1951	501
1952	518
1953	476
1954	503
1955	504
1956	441
1957	461
1958	412
1959	437
1960	399
1961	428
1962	452
1963	404
1964	382
1965	348
1966	300
1967	302
1968	296
1969	277
1970	311
1971	316
1972	273
1973	222
1974	280
1975	277
1976	279
1977	315
1978	317
1979	316
1980	333
1981	312
1982	360
1983	313
1984	288
1985	310
1986	331
1987	377
1988	404
1989	461
1990	542
1991	620
1992	832
1993	948
1994	1,343
1995	858
1996	431
1997	370
1998	296
1999	262
2000	252
2001	207
2002	194
2003	195
2004	158
2005	151
2006	147
2007	142
2008	129
2009	166
2010	162
2011	161
2012	154
2013	257
2014	338
2015	391
2016	423
2017	460
2018	483
2019	583
2020	639
2021	745
2022	794
2023	744
2024	788